Cessna 150 accident near Atco, NJ
On September 12, 2015, a Cessna 150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Atco, NJ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 12, 2015
- Place
- Atco, NJ
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.778°N, 74.858°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150912X73040
Official records · ERA15FA352
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 12, 2015, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a privately owned and operated Cessna 150F, N8185F, collided with trees and terrain near Atco, New Jersey. The student pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was being operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed about the time of the accident near the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1104 from Camden County Airport (19N), Berlin, New Jersey. According to the student pilot's flight instructor, who was also the manager of 19N, he talked briefly to the student on the morning of the accident, but the student did not indicate his intentions for the flight. Sometime later, he observed the airplane being taxied and then departing. According to data downloaded from an onboard GPS device, after departure, the student performed a full-stop landing to runway 05, followed by two full-stop landings to runway 23. He then returned to the approach end of runway 23, departed the traffic pattern, and flew about 4 nautical miles northeast of 19N, where he flew multiple orbits near a residential area at varying altitudes, averaging about 500 ft (about 400 ft above ground level [agl]). After he flew the orbits, he proceeded east of the airport, at which point, while flying about 400 ft above a residential area, the airplane turned left 360° with the groundspeed slowing during the turn; the last recorded groundspeed value was 58 mph. Two witnesses (one of whom was a long-time friend
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper decision to intentionally maneuver at low altitude while waving to people on the ground, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
More accidents in NJ
- Piper PA-32R-300, Aug 8, 2009
- Bell 206L-4, Apr 10, 2025
- Socata TBM 700, Dec 20, 2011
- Cessna T337G, Feb 15, 2010
- Piper PA-28-236, May 31, 2006
Browse: New Jersey · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
