- Date
- October 21, 2024, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Willis, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51046Cessna 150
- Defining event
- Landing: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20241021016859A
- Case key
- 195366
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain a stabilized approach, that resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent collision with trees. Contributing to the accident, was the pilot’s decision to attempt to land to a closed runway.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he decided to utilize a known closed runway to land at the airport, due to the wind conditions. During the approach to the dry turf runway, he reported the airplane was “considerably too high and almost certainly too fast.” The pilot deployed full flaps, and the airplane started to descend “steeply” toward the end of the runway. When the airplane touched down on the runway, it bounced, and the airplane departed the runway straight ahead. The airplane crossed a road and impacted several trees next to a home. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that during the approach, he should have performed a go-around and established a stabilized approach. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airport/Facility Directory, the runway the pilot selected to use is not listed for use at the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51046
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (J)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069726
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 6,361.8
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 2022
- Departed
- OZW · Howell, MI
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 43G · Belleville
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 626.1 total · 545.8 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KYIP, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KYIP 211853Z 25013KT 10SM CLR 27/05 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP219 T02670050
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N51046 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.