Cessna 150D accident near Slanesville, West Virginia, April 7, 2001
On April 7, 2001 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150D, registered N974CA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Slanesville, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loose mixture control cable housing which resulted in an intermittent running engine, and the pilot's subsequent decision to perform a precautionary landing. A factor was the soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2001 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Slanesville, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N974CA · registry record · serial 15060194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot purchased the airplane in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was destined for Woodbine, New Jersey. On the second day of his trip, while in cruise flight over West Virginia, the engine momentarily lost power and then returned to cruise rpm. This intermittent condition continued and the pilot was unable to return the engine to normal operation. He elected to perform a precautionary landing in an open field below him. After main wheel touchdown, the nose wheel touched down, and dug into the soft ground. The airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination revealed that the mixture control cable housing had come loose, which allowed it to move toward the idle cut-off position. The engine ran satisfactorily after the mixture control cable housing was properly secured.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,890.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 2000; 37.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4G7 Fairmont WV at 6:00 pm
- Destination: FDK Frederick MD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from OKV, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC01LA095.