Cessna 150M accident near Vero Beach, Florida, March 8, 1994
On March 8, 1994 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714MJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (New Hibiscus airport). It was an instructional 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 FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO PROPERLY RECOVER FROM A BOUNCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 1994 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · New Hibiscus · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N714MJ · registry record · serial 15079279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS RETURNING FROM A SOLO FLIGHT AND ATTEMPTING TO LAND. THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED TWO TIMES BEFORE LANDING ON THE NOSE GEAR, CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE.
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: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,636 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 24, 1994; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Citrus Grove Aviation INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:34 pm from VRB, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.