Cessna 150D accident near Catawba Valley, Virginia, December 28, 1996
On December 28, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150D, registered N4523U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Catawba Valley, Virginia. 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 planning/decision, and his failure to attain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall after takeoff and collision with ground. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's use of inadequate terrain for takeoff, high vegetation in the takeoff area, and the prevailing tailwind for takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Catawba Valley, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4523U · no longer on the register · serial 15060523
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed a non-towered airport on a 700 mile cross-country flight. The first planned refueling stop was 185 miles south of the departure airport. About 30 minutes from the refuel stop, the pilot determined that the airport was IFR, and flew west to locate another airport. After about 25 minutes, he performed a precautionary landing to an 1,800 foot farm field, and the airplane struck wires on final approach, which resulted in minor damage. The pilot purchased auto fuel from the property owner and received directions to a local airport. He then attempted a down hill, downwind takeoff, in heavy grass. The airplane became airborne, the stall horn beeped, and then the airplane struck the ground. There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing. The departure airport, the refuel stop, and the intended alternate were non-towered airports. The pilot by-passed two VFR airports with operating control towers during his search for an alternate airport.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 395 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BCB Blacksburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LYH, 50 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.