Cessna 150 N51046

Summary

On 21 October 2024 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N51046 was involved in an accident near Willis, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2024 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Willis, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Belleville (43G)

Coordinates

42.1741, -83.5455

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N51046

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Howell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA026

1 person had minor injuries.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.