Cessna 150G accident near East Hampton, New York, December 23, 1995
On December 23, 1995 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N2970J, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Hampton, New York (East Hampton 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 to adequately supervise the dual student pilot and ensure that directional control of the airplane was maintained. The icy runway was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1995 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- East Hampton, New York · East Hampton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2970J · registry record · serial 150-65770
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A dual student initiated a short field takeoff on runway 28. As the airplane neared rotation speed, it encountered a large patch of ice and started to drift left. The student pilot aborted the takeoff, and directional control was recovered. When the student pilot applied rudder to return to the center of the runway, the airplane again drifted left until it was into the snow at the left edge of the runway. The airplane then nosed over onto its back. The flight instructor reported that he coached the student, but did not take control of the airplane. About 25 percent of the runway surface was reported to be covered with ice, with more ice on the first 1/3 of the runway. No evidence of a malfunction with the flight controls, wheels, or brakes was found. The wind was reported as 290 degrees at 15 knots. Runway 28 was 4242 feet long and 75 feet wide.
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: 1,540 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 192 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,412 as pilot in command; 955 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sound Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: HTO at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,242 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from HTO
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.