Cessna 150 accident near Sacramento, Kentucky, May 14, 2004
On May 14, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N7795E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sacramento, Kentucky (David Lowe Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper decision to land with a tailwind, and his inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. A factor was the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sacramento, Kentucky · David Lowe Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7795E · no longer on the register · serial 17595
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from runway 34, at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, he observed "dark clouds" surrounding the airport, and decided to return to the airport to land. As he turned onto final approach at 700 feet, and about 65 mph, he noticed the wind was blowing from the southwest, and applied left aileron and right rudder to compensate for it. During the landing flare, a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right. The airplane touched down on the right side of the runway, but the pilot was unable to maintain correction with full left rudder and braking. The airplane then continued off the runway, and impacted a parked car and then a garage door on the airport, before coming to rest. Winds reported at an airport about 40 miles to the southwest, at 1353, were from 180 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 271 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 9, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,348 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 4, 2004; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 80KY Sacramento KY at 7:25 pm
- Destination: 80KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 1,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from BWG, 40 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.