Cessna 150 accident near Warren, Minnesota, December 23, 2016
On December 23, 2016 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 150, registered N7961F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Warren, Minnesota (Warren Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2016 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Minnesota · Warren Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 F, built 1966 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7961F · no longer on the register · serial 15064061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot reported that, while he was taxiing to test the brakes, the airplane slid to the right, impacted a snowbank, and nosed over. He added that "this was not a flight, takeoff or landing. Simply went off [the] runway during a taxi test of [the] brakes." However, in a statement provided by the Sheriff's office to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot stated that he was low on fuel and that, after he landed, he hit a snowdrift and nosed over. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: D37 Warren MN
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:34 am from KCKN, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 17, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.