Cessna 150M accident near Holly Springs, Mississippi, July 14, 2000
On July 14, 2000 at about 11:51 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N9249U, was destroyed in an accident near Holly Springs, Mississippi (Holly Springs-Marshall Ct 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
The failure of the pilot to maintain control while maneuvering the aircraft due to impairment as a result of use of illegal drugs, and the subsequent collision with the terrain during an uncontrolled descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2000 · about 11:51 pm local time
- Place
- Holly Springs, Mississippi · Holly Springs-Marshall Ct · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9249U · no longer on the register · serial 15078199
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to FAA Memphis Air Route Traffic Control transcripts, the airplane radioed Approach Control radar at 1748 central daylight time requesting VFR flight following to the Holly Springs Airport. After identifying the flight, the controller assigned the flight a different frequency, but they did not hear from N9429U again. There were no witnesses to the crash. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Langley, picked up ELT transmissions south of the Holly Springs Airport at 2001 and alerted Mississippi Civil Air Patrol at 0300. The aircraft wreckage was located at 0745 on July 15, 2000. Aircraft, engine and all associated components revealed no signs of malfunction or failure. Proper fuel and lubrication were aboard the aircraft at the crash site. Seventy-nine pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in the wreckage. The FAA toxicological examination of the pilot revealed he had recently used three different illegal recreational drugs, and was impaired by the effects of the levels of methamphetamine and the MDMA found.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 69 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 28 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,063 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 24, 2000; 50 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: Unknown
- Destination: M41 Holly Springs MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from MEM, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.