Cessna 150J accident near Brunswick, Georgia, August 15, 2002
On August 15, 2002 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N5603G, was destroyed in an accident near Brunswick, Georgia (Glynco Jetport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to takeoff in an over gross weight condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2002 · about 6:45 pm local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Brunswick, Georgia · Glynco Jetport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N5603G · no longer on the register · serial 15071103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine airplane impacted terrain following a loss of control during takeoff. Witnesses, who observed the airplane on takeoff, indicated the airplane was in an nose-high pitch attitude prior to seeing the wings drop in a stall. One witness located on the ground described seeing an excessive amount of the top surface of the wing during the takeoff. The weather at the time of departure consisted of a 10- to 15-knot crosswind. Based on investigator's calculations, the private pilot flew the airplane with a gross weight that exceeded the aircraft's limitations. There was no indication that the pilot conducted a preflight calculation of the aircraft's weight and balance. No anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine during the post-accident examination that would have prevented its operation. The pilot did not hold a current medical certificate for eight years prior to the accident.
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: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2001; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BQK Brunswick GA at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from BQK
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5603G: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 150 7,993 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-200-A 296 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Brunswick Golden Isles Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,801 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA02FA152.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.