Cessna 150M accident near Schuyler, New York, January 20, 1990
On January 20, 1990 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N66787, was destroyed in an accident near Schuyler, New York. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1990 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Schuyler, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N66787 · no longer on the register · serial 15076280
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON A DUAL TRAINING FLIGHT PRACTICING SLOW FLIGHT. WHEN THEY RETURNED TO NORMAL CRUISE, THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER. ADDITION OF CARBURETOR HEAT DID NOT CLEAR UP THE PROBLEM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET FOR A FORCED LANDING. AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET A.G.L., THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL POWER AND THE CFI DECIDED TO ABORT THE LANDING AND BEGAN RAISING THE FLAPS. THE ENGINE QUITE AGAIN AND THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AND NOSED OVER. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 25 DEG AND THE DEW POINT 17, WHICH FALLS WITHIN THE 'ICING GLIDE AND CRUISE POWER RANGE OF A CARB ICING PROBABILITY CHART. THE A/C AND ENGINE WERE EXAMINED BY FAA A/W INSPECTORS. NO DESCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,623 hours in all; 1,204 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 2,495 as pilot in command; 1,335 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,597 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 1, 1989; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Galaxy Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 4B2 Marcy NY at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from UCA, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.