Cessna 150M accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, February 26, 1998
On February 26, 1998 at about 2:44 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N45194, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach Int'L airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the flight instructor (CFI) to maintain adequate airspeed, during the final approach and flare to land, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and allowed the wingtip to drag during touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1998 · about 2:44 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N45194 · no longer on the register · serial 15076779
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After performing airwork, the flight instructor and a beginning student pilot returned to the traffic pattern. They turned base, then final, with 20 degrees of flaps extended. The wind was last reported to be a direct crosswind from the right at 4 knots. The CFI stated that they flared slightly high, and the flight appeared to be 'slightly fast.' He held the pitch attitude, and the airplane began to sink at a higher rate than expected. The CFI added partial, then full power to go-around, while maintaining the pitch attitude. He said the flight controls felt sluggish, and he relaxed the back pressure. The airplane began to bank to the left, which was not corrected with full right aileron and rudder. The left wingtip then contacted the runway, and the airplane rotated about 180 degrees and came to rest in an upright position.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 307 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days; 242 as pilot in command; 5 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,561 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 21, 1997; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wrightway Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DAB at 1:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7R, 3,197 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DAB
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.