Cessna 150L accident near Needville, Texas, January 27, 1995
On January 27, 1995 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N1493Q, was destroyed in an accident near Needville, Texas (Prairie Aire airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of control at an altitude insufficient for recovery after one of the two pilots on board attempted an aerobatic maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 1995 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Needville, Texas · Prairie Aire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1493Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072793
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude after an in-flight loss of control while maneuvering at low altitude following a low-level pass over a private airstrip. One witness described seeing the airplane pull up vertically to about 250-300 feet above ground level before pivoting about its center of gravity and descending vertically. Other witnesses described a similar maneuver. The pilot-flying at the time of the accident could not be determined. Examination of the airplane and the engine did not reveal any structural or mechanical anomalies. Impact was near vertical and the wreckage was found in the initial ground scar.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Crew member
No details recorded.
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,217 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1994; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSX Palacios TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,500 ft by 30 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from HOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.