- Date
- May 15, 2021, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Brewton, AL · On closed runway 18
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3396JCessna 150
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210515009779A
- Case key
- 103086
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 adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the ground.
Findings · 2
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 was participating in a “flour bag drop” competition and reported that while he was flying about 50-100 ft above a closed runway, he “got too slow and stalled.” He attempted to recover; however, there was insufficient altitude, and the airplane impacted the runway nose first. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts and firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3396J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (G)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066096
- Built
- 1967
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Deatherage James R
- Registered owner
- Deatherage James R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 12J · Brewton Muni, runway 18, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 29,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KNSE, 20 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KNSE 151556Z AUTO 10SM CLR 24/09 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP230 T02390094 $=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.