NTSB CHI90LA059 — 1990-01-01 · ELKHART, Indiana, United States

Current FAA registration · N8575G

Make / Model: CESSNA 150F
Engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19651221
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ABC467

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8575G Cessna 150F None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN WINTER OPERATIONS, THE ICY RUNWAY CONDITION, AND THE SNOWBANK.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. HE AND THE PASSENGER, WHO WAS A STUDENT PILOT, RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS PLOWED TO A USABLE WIDTH OF ABOUT 25 FEET & WAS ICY. HE DESCRIBED THE APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN AS NORMAL AND SMOOTH. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT 'SLID TO THE RIGHT,' ENCOUNTERED A CRUSTY SNOWBANK AND NOSED OVER. NEITHER OF THE PILOTS HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH WINTER FLIGHT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT, GIVEN 'HOW BAD THE RUNWAY WAS...' HE SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON IT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_CHI90LA059.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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