Cessna 150 accident near Clarion, Iowa, January 14, 1989
On January 14, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N22997, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clarion, Iowa. It was a personal 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 PILOT TO PROPERLY USE THE CARBURETOR HEAT DURING ICING CONDITIONS RESULTING IN CARBURETOR ICE FORMATION AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clarion, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N22997 · no longer on the register · serial 15068669
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED ON A RURAL GRAVEL ROAD, AND DURING THE ROLL-OUT, A ROAD SIGN WAS STRUCK CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION, LACK OF FUEL, OR FUEL CONTAMINATION. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR CARBURETOR ICING ACCORDING TO THE 'ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS.' TEMPERATURE WAS 36 DEGS F AND DEWPOINT WAS 25 DEGS F.
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: 126 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 91 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,274 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 1988; 35 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: ANE Blaine MN at 3:40 pm
- Destination: EBS Webster City IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 21 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from MCW, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N22997 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.