Cessna (Textron Aviation) · Single-engine piston plane
Cessna 150 and 152
Is the Cessna 150 and 152 safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 91 fatal accidents counted in about 25 million US flights since 2008.
Medium confidenceIn serviceUpdated 5 November 2026
Spot a mistake?
Cessna 150 and 152 safety score: 54 out of 100, grade D (Weak)
Likely range 49 to 59
1 in 300,000chance of dying on a flight3.37 deaths per million boardings
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 91 in 25.4 million flights
3.6 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 85
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 25.4 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston singles in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 9,544 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.34, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.76 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 148 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Single-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 5.9 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 193 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 99%.
- Likely range
- 49 to 59
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 19 August 2026
N23330 LLC, Carlisle, PA, United States of America: 1 of 1 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 36
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Cessna 150 and 152 carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- One flight on the Cessna 150 and 152This aircraft1 in 300,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
91 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 123 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| N23330 LLC150 · Carlisle, PA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Landing at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the 150H flew low over the runway, rocking its wings, as a State Police training helicopter moved off it; the two collided. The airplane pilot died and both helicopter pilots were badly hurt. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| BV Road And Site LLC152 · Hornell, NY, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a solo flight from Brockport, New York, the student pilot circled low near Hornell; video showed the 152 enter a descending right turn with the engine running and hit tall trees. He died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorA150L · Three Points, AZ, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight from Tucson's Ryan Field, the 150L flew low maneuvers and crashed in desert near Three Points; the student and the instructor died, and the wreck was found the next day. No fault was found. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA150L · Renslow, WA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying from Yakima toward Chelan, Washington, the 150L crashed in remote mountains near Renslow and was found the next morning; the pilot died. A hiker reported a thunderstorm and gusty wind nearby. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Wilder, TN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a night cross-country leg from Crossville, Tennessee, with no moon, no flight plan and no logged briefing, the student pilot flew into cloud over dark terrain; the 150F hit the ground near Wilder and he died. The NTSB found controlled flight into terrain.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150L · Godley, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a solo lesson in the evening near Godley, Texas, the student practised power-on stalls; on the last one the 150L entered a spin he could not recover from, and it hit the ground. He died. The NTSB cited his failure to keep control while practising the stall.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150K · Gilford, NH, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Arriving at night at Laconia, New Hampshire, after flying from Providence despite warnings about the weather, the pilot turned from base to final over a lake; the 150K spiralled into the water and he died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation in night cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150K · Huntsville, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight at Huntsville, Texas, the 150K lost power about 500 ft up after a touch-and-go, and the instructor turned back; it spun in after about 90 degrees and both died. The NTSB found debris blocking a fuel fitting and a loss of airspeed in the turn.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Dallas Flight Center150 · Caddo Mills, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On the day he got his medical certificate, the pilot flew the 150 alone at Caddo Mills, Texas; it hit the ground nose low near the end of runway 18 and burned, and he died. NTSB: loss of control in a forced landing after engine power loss.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Houston, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying night touch-and-goes at West Houston, Texas, the student pilot was on the downwind leg when the 150L entered a rapid descent and hit power lines; he died. The NTSB cited his loss of control in dark night conditions.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150G · Hillsville, VA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The instrument-rated pilot flew VFR from Burlington, North Carolina, toward Hillsville, Virginia, without a weather briefing; over mountains in cloud the 150G made a descending 540-degree turn and hit trees. He died. The NTSB cited VFR flight into cloud and terrain impact.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150H · Auburn, NE, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night training flight to Auburn, Nebraska, the 150H lost engine power from carburetor ice while entering the pattern, and the instructor lost control while maneuvering for a forced landing; it hit a farm field and both died.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Private150A · Santa Monica, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | After a sluggish taxi and two run-ups at Santa Monica, the 150A took off; about 1,000 ft up the engine quit, and the pilot tried to land on the beach. The wheels caught the waves and it nosed over; the passenger died. The NTSB found a rod bearing failed from oil starvation.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| United Flight Services152 · Watsonville, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying the pattern at Watsonville, California, the 152 was hit by a Cessna 340 making a straight-in approach, though both pilots gave radio position reports. The 152 pilot and both on the 340 died. The NTSB found the twin's pilot failed to see and avoid the 152.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator152 · Mendon, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a lesson near Mendon, Utah, teaching an instructor candidate how to recover from an aggravated stall, the 152 did not recover from a developed spin and hit the ground. Both died. The NTSB also cited entering the maneuver below the operator's minimum height.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private152 · Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a solo touch-and-go at Milwaukee's Timmerman Airport, the student lifted off with flaps still down, climbed nose high just above the trees and radioed an engine failure; the left wing dropped and the 152 fell. He died. The NTSB found he stalled it.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150L · Forrest City, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Landing at Forrest City, Arkansas, the 150L veered left once the nosewheel was down, ran off the runway and hit a fence. The pilot, not wearing his seat belt, was thrown out and died; the passenger had minor injuries. The NTSB cited a loss of control on landing.Type: Runway excursionNTSB docket | |
| Private150L · Dunsmuir, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A pilot with no pilot certificate flew a multi-stop cross-country from Ashland, Oregon, with a known dead alternator, saving battery power; the 150L flew on into forecast cloud and hit terrain near Dunsmuir, California. He died. The NTSB found controlled flight into terrain.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Banning, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | After touch-and-goes at Redlands and Banning, California, the 150F turned onto the downwind leg at Banning about 300 ft up, then banked steeply left and dived in and burned. Both on board died. The NTSB found the pilot stalled it in the pattern.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator152 · St. Augustine, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a discovery flight at St Augustine, Florida, the 152's wings rocked about 100 ft up on approach, then it pitched down, hit the runway and burned. The instructor and the prospective student died. The NTSB found the instructor stalled it.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| A-cent Aviation Inc.150 · Yulee, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a training flight near Yulee, Florida, the instructor had the student practise slow flight below the school's minimum recovery height; the 150L stalled and dived into a river. Both died. The NTSB cited the low height and his late recovery.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150L · Colton, OR, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night IFR flight from Salem, Oregon, the pilot cancelled IFR, changed his destination twice, then declared an emergency and reported pitot icing; the 150L hit mountainous terrain near Colton and both died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Port Isabel, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After one pattern circuit at Port Isabel, Texas, the 150M turned crosswind at 250 ft and hit the ground nose down; the pilot, alone, died. No fault was found. The NTSB could not determine why he lost control.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150 · Jacksonville, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Soon after takeoff from Jacksonville, Texas, the 150G's left wing hit a guy wire of a 1,586 ft television tower while flying low; part of the wing broke off and it dived into the ground. The pilot died. The NTSB cited his failure to keep clear of the wires.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · New Bedford, MA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a local flight from New Bedford, Massachusetts, the 74-year-old pilot flew low over a golf course without calling ATC, climbed steeply and then dived straight down; he died. The NTSB found carbon monoxide from a corroded, holed exhaust muffler impaired him.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Brawley, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from Brawley, California, after midnight, the pilot, without an instrument rating or a valid medical, maneuvered for three minutes and flew the 150A into riverbank trees; both died. The NTSB found he was impaired by alcohol and cocaine.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Prairie Grove, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Leaving Fayetteville, Arkansas, at night on a VFR cross-country, the pilot, without an instrument rating, likely climbed into low cloud; the 150G turned left, spiralled down and hit the ground near Prairie Grove, killing him. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Whitehall, MI, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying straight and level below minimum safe height over Whitehall, Michigan, with the engine running, the 150M flew into the middle of a water tower; the pilot died. No fault was found, and the NTSB could not determine why he hit the tower.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Long Beach Flying Club152 · Compton, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | As the 152 landed at Compton, California, on a training flight, a T-28 landing behind it hit it from behind on the runway. The student died and the instructor survived. The NTSB found sun glare kept the T-28 pilot from seeing the Cessna, and he did not use the radio.Type: Runway collisionNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Woodstock, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Climbing out of a 2,000 ft turf strip at Woodstock, Georgia, in a gusty quartering tailwind, the 150E struggled, the stall horn sounded and it fell into trees. The pilot died and the student pilot passenger survived. The NTSB cited a stall and his lack of recent flying.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Festus, MO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The 150H crashed near Festus, Missouri, after the pilot reported an electrical problem that stopped him turning on the runway lights by radio. The pilot and his son died. NTSB: fuel exhaustion and a stall; flying at night with a known electrical problem contributed.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Rotor F/x150L · Pacoima, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a discovery flight at Whiteman Airport, California, the engine quit soon after takeoff because the fuel had run out; the instructor turned back sharply, and the 150L stalled and spun in. He died and the passenger survived. The NTSB also cited a poor preflight check.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Redding, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taking off from Benton Field, Redding, California, with 20 degrees of flap, more than the manual suggests, the 150F climbed slowly and steeply, turned left, stalled and hit the ground. The pilot, alone, died. The NTSB cited the stall and the flap setting.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator152 · Fort Rice, ND, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After a low-level aerial photography job near Mandan, North Dakota, the 152 made low turns over the Missouri River and crashed into it; the pilot died. The NTSB found carburetor ice cut engine power because he did not use carburetor heat, and the aircraft stalled.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Outerbanks Seaplanes LLC150J · Manteo, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | At Manteo, North Carolina, the banner-tow 150J flew the pickup too low in a gusty crosswind, and the tow rope wrapped around the left tailplane. The pilot could not release it or turn; the aircraft climbed to 250 ft and fell into trees, killing him.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Bainbridge Island, WA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Flying low over Eagle Harbor near Bainbridge Island, Washington, the pilot looked down at his navigation tablet and pushed the yoke forward; the 150M struck the water and flipped. The passenger got out, and the pilot died. The NTSB cited his distraction.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Marion, IN, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from runway 15 at Marion, Indiana, the 150 hit the tail of a Cessna Citation landing on crossing runway 22 at the intersection, then crashed and burned. Both on the 150 died; the five on the jet were unhurt. The NTSB found neither pilot saw and avoided the other.Type: Runway collisionNTSB docket | |
| Private152 · Concord, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A few minutes after takeoff from Concord, California, the 152 dived steeply into the ground; the pilot, alone, died. A rudder cable was found broken and he had worsening anxiety, but the NTSB could not determine why control was lost.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Castalia, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying the 150C out of a farm field near Louisburg, North Carolina, the pilot planned a turning takeoff under power lines; the aircraft pitched up and banked steeply left at liftoff, stalled and crashed, killing him. The NTSB cited the stall and his choice to try it.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private152 · Tehachapi, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After a dinner stop at Tehachapi, California, the pilot took off at night and flew a right pattern instead of the left one, over dark pastures and hills; the 152 descended fast into a pasture and he died. The NTSB found he lost situational awareness.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150G · Rhine, GA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A student pilot took off at night in fog from his partly lit grass strip near Rhine, Georgia; the 150G climbed and turned right, slowed to 32 kt, stalled and fell into woods. He died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation and his choice to take off in those conditions.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Farmerville, LA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The pilot made several low passes over Lake D'Arbonne, Louisiana, by a friend's home; on the last one the 150F touched the water, nosed over and sank, and he died. No fault was found. The NTSB cited a failure to keep clear of the water.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Dean International Flight School152 · Homestead, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a night flight not approved by the school that owned the 152, the private pilot, without an instrument rating, practised holds near Homestead, Florida, over unlit ground; it entered a steep right spiral and he died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150M · Banning, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On touch-and-goes at Banning, California, after a hard landing in gusty wind, the student handed control to the instructor in the climb, and the 150M sank, wobbled and hit trees. The instructor died. The NTSB cited the choice to go on in a tailwind and a stall at low height.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Rockville, IN, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Leaving a 2,081 ft grass strip at Rockville, Indiana, near maximum weight, the pilot lifted off mid-field nose high, and the 150F could not climb out of ground effect and hit trees past the runway end. Both on board died. The NTSB cited a wrong soft-field technique.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Big Lake, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After takeoff from a gravel strip near Big Lake, Alaska, the solo pilot climbed to about 300 ft and turned left; the 150F pitched up, dropped its left wing and dived onto a road, then burned. He died. The NTSB found a stall while maneuvering too low to recover.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Upper Limit Aviation152 · Cedar City, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | While the chief pilot checked out a new hire instructor near Cedar City, Utah, the 152 stalled about 3,000 ft above the ground and fell almost vertically, fluttering like a leaf. Both pilots died. It is not known if the stall was a demonstration or not.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150H · Morrisville, NY, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a local flight from Hamilton, New York, the 150H's engine sputtered, stopped, restarted and quit again; the aircraft then stalled and spun in near Morrisville, killing both. The NTSB could not find why the engine lost power, and cited the pilot's loss of airspeed.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Atco, NJ, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A student pilot with a habit of low passes circled low over a friend's house near Atco, New Jersey, and waved; the bank steepened as the 150F slowed, it stalled and he died. The NTSB cited his choice to maneuver low on purpose while waving to people.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Moncks Corner, SC, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Climbing out of a non-towered airport near Moncks Corner, South Carolina, the 150M collided with an F-16 flying a radar-vectored practice approach; both on the Cessna died. The NTSB blamed the approach controller's failure to resolve the conflict, and the limits of see-and-avoid.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator152 · Batesville, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Returning at night after dropping off a passenger, the student pilot flew the 152 into low patchy cloud and hit rising ground near Batesville, Arkansas; he died. The NTSB found controlled flight into terrain, and a night flight in marginal weather without training or a briefing.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private152 · New Smyrna Beach, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying at night in cloud from Edgewater, Florida, without the operator's checkout, the commercial pilot lost control and the 152 hit the beach at New Smyrna Beach; she died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation, and a radar controller who did not follow VFR-assist guidance.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150 · Mount Pleasant, SC, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an instruction flight at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a pilot posing as an instructor (he held no instructor certificate) let the 150M stall about 100 ft up after takeoff, and it dived into the ground. He and the student died. A broken flap switch spring was also found.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Senoia, GA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The private pilot, without an instrument rating or a weather briefing, left Peachtree City, Georgia, at night under a low overcast; five minutes later he turned back, and the 150C descended into a roadside berm and trees. Both died. The NTSB cited the choice to fly in cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Russian Flat, MT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taking off uphill from the grass strip at Russian Flat, Montana, at a density altitude over 8,200 ft, beyond the 150M's performance limits, the pilot stalled and spun into a swamp past the runway end; he died. The NTSB cited poor performance planning.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150J · Topping, VA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The 150J struggled to climb out of Saluda, Virginia, near its maximum weight; the pilot twice came back and aborted the landing, and after the second go-around it stalled and spun in. Both on board died. The NTSB cited a stall and spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Watkins, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night flight from Front Range Airport, Colorado, under a 300 ft overcast, the pilot left the pattern while using a cell phone, and the 150K turned left into a steep descent and hit a field; both died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation and a stall.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Above View Jet Center150 - F · Santa Clara, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an instruction flight from St George, Utah, the 150F was heard sputtering and seen in a vertical dive; it hit rocky mountain terrain west of Santa Clara and both died. No fault was found. The NTSB found the instructor did not pull out of a low dive in time.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| United Flight Systems152 · Spring, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a night training flight at Houston's Hooks Airport, the instructor reported engine trouble after a touch-and-go and turned back; the 152 entered a steep turn and dived in, killing both. The NTSB could not find why the engine lost power, and cited a stall.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private150L · Anchorage, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The 150L crashed while trying to go around at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska; both on board died. NTSB: low fuel and a nose-high attitude starved the engine, then a stall in a low turn back.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| Superior Flying Services LLC152 · Hawley, MN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The private pilot, without an instrument rating, flew from Superior, Wisconsin, toward Moorhead in known fog and did not divert when told of it; the 152 hit the ground at high speed 15 miles short and he died. The NTSB cited the choice to fly into cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Deming, NM, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | In cruise northeast of Deming, New Mexico, the 78-year-old pilot radioed that he was in severe pain and losing his sight; the 150M then broke up in flight and he died. The NTSB found a likely heart attack incapacitated him and he lost control.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Arizona Aero-tech152 · Tucson, AZ, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The renter pilot flew the 152 from Tucson International to Ryan Airfield for touch-and-goes; on the base leg it dived steeply into the ground and burned, killing him. The NTSB found his existing heart disease incapacitated him.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Pilot150F · Gothenburg, NE, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a solo practice flight at Gothenburg, Nebraska, the student pilot flew a very low pattern, and on the fourth approach the 150F stalled and ended up upside down before the runway; he died. The NTSB found he let airspeed decay on final.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Fredericksburg, VA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | About 100 ft up after takeoff from Fredericksburg, Virginia, in good weather, the 150M banked 90 degrees left and spiralled into a mobile home park; both on board died. The NTSB cited a loss of control in the climb, with alcohol impairing the pilot.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Atlantic Ocean | 1 killed / 1 on board | The private pilot left Flying M Aerodrome, Germansville, Pennsylvania, in a Cessna 150F and did not come back; neither he nor the aircraft was found, and the cause is undetermined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Aero Maintenance Flight Center150L · Goble, OR, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a dual instruction flight from Vancouver, Washington, in rain, low cloud and ground fog, the 150L flew low over hilly ground near Goble, Oregon, and hit a tree; both died. The NTSB cited the instructor's choice to continue into poor visibility.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private150G · Quincy, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After a night refuelling stop at Quincy, Florida, the pilot, without an instrument rating, took off into forming fog and turned back; the 150G flew under power into trees and he died. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation in night cloud and the choice to take off.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Moncks Corner, SC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Practising for a flight review at Berkeley County Airport, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, the private pilot of the Cessna 150F crashed into trees at dusk and died. The NTSB found that ethylene glycol poisoning had left him unable to control the aircraft.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150L · Silverton, CO, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Flying low over Stony Pass near Silverton, Colorado, above gross weight and without oxygen, the 150L pitched up, rolled inverted and hit rocks at 12,570 ft; both died. The NTSB cited a stall from a heart event, hypoxia or sedating drugs, or a mix of them.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Beluga Lake, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from an off-airport site near Triumvirate Glacier, Alaska, the 150M stalled at low height and hit a berm beside the site. The pilot died and the passenger survived. The NTSB found he did not keep enough airspeed on takeoff.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Space Coast Aviation152 · Vero Beach, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The 152 failed to return from a personal flight from Merritt Island, Florida, and was found hours later near Blue Cypress Lake. Radar showed turns and a final slowdown; it had spun in, killing both on board. The NTSB found the pilot let airspeed decay into a stall.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150D · Baraboo, WI, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | A student pilot with no instrument rating or weather briefing flew a cross-country toward Reedsburg, Wisconsin, into low overcast; the 150D wandered off course and crashed southwest of Baraboo, killing both on board. The NTSB cited the choice to continue into cloud.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150E · Ware Shoals, SC, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A pilot with no pilot certificate took off from a field by his home in Laurens County, South Carolina, flew low over a tree, and the 150E stalled, hit the ground and nosed over; he died. The NTSB found alcohol and a sedating antihistamine impaired him.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Kelly's Aviation150J · Tucson, AZ, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On his first solo in an airplane at Tucson's Ryan Airfield, a glider pilot was on short final when the 150J pitched down into the ground, and he died. The NTSB found untreated heart disease likely incapacitated him.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Sweetwater, TN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying home to Knoxville without an instrument rating or a weather briefing, the private pilot flew into cloud near Sweetwater, Tennessee; the 150F turned, descended and hit hilly terrain, killing him. The NTSB cited VFR flight into cloud and spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150H · Deland, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | After takeoff from DeLand, Florida, the 150H pitched down, recovered, then hit power lines and came to rest inverted. Both died. The pilot had been denied a medical certificate after a stroke; the NTSB cited a stall from a loss of airspeed in the climb.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Drake Aerial Enterprises LLC DBA150L · Boone, IA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a banner-tow flight at Boone, Iowa, in gusty wind, the 150L barely climbed after the pickup, the banner caught in a cornfield and broke away, and the aircraft banked and dived in, killing the pilot. The NTSB cited a loss of control in low-level towing.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · Keller, WA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Taking off near Keller, Washington, to look for cattle, the student pilot of the Cessna 150J hit power lines in the climb and crashed; he died and his passenger, on his first flight, was seriously hurt.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Justice Aviation152 · Venice, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Climbing out of Santa Monica after a touch-and-go, the pilot told the tower he had to return, then the 152 turned left, spun and hit trees on a golf course. He died. No fault was found; the NTSB cited a stall and spin from a loss of airspeed in the climb.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150F · Alexandria, LA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Two untrained pilots flew a formation low pass at Pineville, Louisiana; when the leader banked hard right, the wingman climbed into it and the two aircraft collided. Both on the 150F died. The NTSB blamed the wingman's spacing, the leader's abrupt bank and no formation training.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Air Safety Flight Academy152 · Coolidge, AZ, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a simulated instrument training flight near Coolidge, Arizona, the 152 collided with a Piper PA-28 at about 4,500 ft. One pilot in the 152 died and the other was badly hurt; the PA-28 crew were unhurt. The NTSB found both safety pilots failed to see and avoid.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| M Y Air152 · Hesperia, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | After two high, fast approaches and go-arounds at Hesperia, California, the 152 climbed steeply in a 60-degree bank and spun in beside a road. Both on board died. The NTSB cited a stall in the pattern, with badly installed and timed magnetos reducing engine power.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150 · South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | At South Lake Tahoe the 150J climbed nose high to about 100 ft, the pilot called mayday, and it turned left and hit the ground; he died. A missing carburetor float pin had cut engine power, and the NTSB found he let airspeed decay while turning back at high density altitude.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operator150L · Rockwall, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Shortly after takeoff from a private strip near Greenville, Texas, the 150L lost power and hit the ground nose low, killing the pilot. The NTSB found moisture contamination in the carburetor and a loss of control; he was not wearing his shoulder harness.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private150G · Cedar Lake, MI, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from a bumpy 2,331 ft grass strip near Carson City, Michigan, the 150G used most of the runway, failed to clear a tree line and fell into a backyard. One of the two on board died. The NTSB cited the student pilot's failure to keep clear of obstacles.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Air Venture Flight Center152 · Rossville, TN, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The pilot, alone, rented the 152 at Olive Branch, Mississippi, and in cruise it entered a steep descending left turn after three mayday calls and hit the ground near vertically with power on. He died. No fault was found, and the NTSB probable cause is undetermined.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Raw Power Aviation152 · Piru, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a pipeline patrol in a canyon near Piru, California, the pilot slowed at low height over a dig site; the left wing dropped and the 152 dived into a ravine, killing him. The NTSB found he let airspeed decay into a stall while maneuvering low.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private150M · Forrest City, AR, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | After a go-around at Forrest City, Arkansas, the private pilot climbed steeply onto the downwind leg, and the 150M stalled and hit the ground nose down in a left bank. The passenger died and the pilot was hurt. The NTSB found he let airspeed decay in the pattern.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Seaplane Ventures, Inc.150J · Sonora, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On an instruction flight in the float-equipped 150J, the crew made a touch-and-go on a mountain lake near Yosemite, then turned toward rising terrain, stalled and fell nearly vertically. Both died. The NTSB cited a loss of airspeed, with high density altitude contributing.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Corona Flight Academy150M · Corona, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Just after takeoff from Corona, California, the 150M joined the downwind leg as a Cessna 172 entered the pattern, and the two collided. Both on the 150, both on the 172 and one person on the ground died. The NTSB found neither pilot saw and avoided the other.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket |
Listed but not counted
These events happened on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| LM Air Patrol Service, Inc.150 · Penwell, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Deliberate act by a crew member. The 150K of a patrol company hit a grain storage structure in flight at West Odessa, Texas; the pilot, alone, died. The NTSB found the pilot flew into the silo on purpose.Type: OtherNTSB docket |
The NTSB lists 1 more fatal event of the Cessna 150 and 152 in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands or another US territory, or on a route outside the US states. They are not used, because the flight count covers US flights since 2008 only.
For a small plane, the Cessna 150 and 152 have a good US record, and the risks they carry are well known. Up to 28 October 2026, 91 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the family's score, and 47 of them were losses of control in flight, often a stall at low height. Two seats and a small engine leave little margin when the aircraft is heavy, the air is hot or the pilot is new.
What are the Cessna 150 and 152?
They are two-seat, high-wing trainers with fixed landing gear. Cessna built about 31,000 from 1958, the 150 first and the 152 from the late 1970s, and none are made now. Aerobat versions are approved for basic aerobatics. The fleet is shrinking: the US register held about 16,600 in 2008 and about 9,500 in 2026. Flight schools, clubs and owners who want cheap flying hours keep the rest busy.
How is the record counted?
The score uses only US data since 2008. The fatal accidents come from the NTSB database. The flights, about 25 million from take-off to final landing (touch-and-goes do not count), are an estimate built from the FAA aircraft register and the FAA General Aviation survey. The survey gives hours for all single-engine pistons together; airframe hours in NTSB accident records and, to a lesser degree, hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers decide each type's share, so busy school trainers get more flights per aircraft than owner types. Small planes have their own ranking, and one flight in a light aircraft carries far more risk than one on an airline. Among small planes, the 150 and 152 are near the top, level with the Diamond DA40, a little ahead of the Piper Seminole and the Piper PA-28 and a little behind the Cessna 172. Our method has the details.
Of the 91 counted accidents, 68 were private and other flights, 21 training flights and two ferry flights.
Why do so many crashes start with a stall?
The summaries mention a stall or spin in 34 of the 91 accidents. Several came after a take-off near the maximum weight or from a short grass strip. At Russian Flat, Montana, on 21 July 2014, a 150M took off uphill at a density altitude over 8,200 ft, beyond its performance, and spun into a swamp.
Others happened during deliberate stall and spin practice. Near Mendon, Utah, on 24 June 2022, a Utah State University 152 did not recover from a spin while teaching an instructor candidate, and both died. Near Godley, Texas, on 15 May 2024, a student practising power-on stalls alone spun in.
Old aircraft add their own risks. Near New Bedford, Massachusetts, on 4 November 2019, the NTSB found carbon monoxide from a corroded, holed exhaust muffler had impaired the pilot. Near Fort Rice, North Dakota, on 17 July 2018, carburettor ice cut the engine power of a 152 flying low over the Missouri River, and it stalled.
What should a student or renter check?
- Look up your instructor in the FAA Airmen Inquiry. At Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on 14 August 2014, a man with no instructor certificate let a 150M stall after take-off, and he and his student died.
- Ask how low the school allows stall and slow-flight practice, and whether spins are taught dual only.
- Work out weight, balance and take-off distance on hot days and at high fields. Two adults and full fuel can be near the limit.
- Fit a carbon monoxide detector, use carburettor heat as the manual says, and ask to see the maintenance logs.
- Search the aircraft's N-number in the NTSB CAROL database.
How to tell if you are on one
Flight trackers show C150 or C152. The small-planes ranking compares them with the other light aircraft we rate.
Questions people ask
Is the Cessna 152 a safe plane to learn on?
Yes, for a small plane. Its US record per flight since 2008 is near the top of the small planes we rate. Over half the fatal crashes were losses of control, often a stall at low height, so the quality of the instruction matters more than the aircraft.
What is the difference between the Cessna 150 and the 152?
The 152 replaced the 150 in the late 1970s with a different engine and small changes. Both are two-seat, high-wing trainers with fixed landing gear, and we rate them as one family.
How many fatal Cessna 150 and 152 accidents have there been?
In the United States, 91 fatal accidents count toward our score from 2008 up to 28 October 2026, with 123 deaths.
Is a Cessna 152 safer than a Cessna 172?
Their US records per flight since 2008 are close, with the 172 a little ahead, and their likely score ranges overlap. Both are mostly flown by students and renters, so the comparison says more about how they are flown than about the designs.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Cessna 150M, Russian Flat, Montana, 21 July 2014 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Cessna 152, Mendon, Utah, 24 June 2022 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Cessna 150L, Godley, Texas, 15 May 2024 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Cessna 150, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, 14 August 2014 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Cessna 150, New Bedford, Massachusetts, 4 November 2019 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.NTSB docket: Cessna 152, Fort Rice, North Dakota, 17 July 2018 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 7.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston singles in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 9,544 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.34, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.76 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 148 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
Spot a mistake?