On September 9, 2019, a Cessna 150 M (registration N9492U) was involved in an aviation accident near WHITEHALL, MI. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s flight into a water tower while operating below minimum safe altitudes for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence for this investigation. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
On September 9, 2019, a Cessna 150 (N9492U) struck a water tower in Whitehall, Michigan, killing the pilot. The aircraft was destroyed, and no pre-impact mechanical failure was found.
Accident Overview and Flight Details On September 9, 2019, at approximately 1140 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150 airplane, registration N9492U, collided with a municipal water tower in Whitehall, Michigan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The aircraft departed from Fremont Municipal Airport (FFX) in Fremont, Michigan, around 1115. Investigators were unable to determine the pilot's intended destination from the available evidence. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying at a low altitude in straight and level flight from the north-northeast before it struck the 180-foot-tall water tower. The tower was situated in a densely populated area approximately 17 miles west of the departure airport. Witnesses also reported hearing the engine operating at a high-power setting at the time of impact. ## Personnel and Medical Findings No pilot logbooks were recovered during the investigation. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 2,000 hours at the time of his last medical examination, which took place more than 20 years before the accident. FAA records indicated that the pilot had not renewed his third-class medical certificate after it expired. An autopsy performed by the Western Michigan University School of Medicine, Medical Examiner and Forensic Services, determined the cause of death to be multiple injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected citalopram, N-desmethylcitalopram, and diphenhydramine in the pilot’s specimens. Citalopram is a prescription antidepressant, N-desmethylcitalopram is its metabolite, and diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine. The FAA requires pilots using antidepressants, including citalopram, to hold a special issuance medical certificate. The pilot’s personal medical records from the three years preceding the accident showed a longstanding history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and an anxiety disorder. He was treated with lisinopril for high blood pressure, atorvastatin for high cholesterol, and escitalopram for anxiety/depression. The records did not specify the extent or seriousness of his anxiety or depression. ## Aircraft and Wreckage Examination No maintenance logbooks were located during the investigation. The water tower sustained impact damage near the center of the tank, which was consistent with damage to the leading edge of the wings and the propeller. The damage patterns indicated that the aircraft impacted the water tower perpendicular to the tank on an approximate heading of 225°. The wreckage was aligned on an approximate heading of 260° and was mostly contained within a 15-foot-diameter area in the northeast corner of a fenced lot containing the water tower. Miscellaneous debris, including a nose and main landing gear tire and small pieces of metal, plastic, and windshield, was found within a 130-foot radius of the main wreckage. Most of the cockpit area and fuselage were consumed by a post-impact fire. Flight control continuity was established from the elevators, rudder, and ailerons to the cockpit area, though impact and fire damage prevented continuity from being established within the cockpit. The flaps were found in the retracted position, with intact flap cables and established continuity between the flaps. The engine, located under fire-damaged fuselage debris, sustained impact and fire damage and was fragmented. The engine crankcase was fractured, and cylinders were expelled from the crankcase. The crankshaft was fractured, with a part still attached to the propeller. The propeller had separated from the engine and came to rest under the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The spinner assembly was flattened and deformed into the propeller hub, and the propeller mounting bolts were sheared with rotational bending. One blade was bent aft at the tip and midspan with chordwise scratching, while the other blade was bent aft near the root with chordwise scratching. No airframe or engine anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure or malfunction were noted. ## Regulatory Context Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91.119, Minimum Safe Altitudes, states that, except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below specified altitudes. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, the required altitude is 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.