Cessna 150 | N1701Q

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the student pilot had received some flight instruction in the accident aircraft, was not authorized to fly solo and had no student pilot certificate or medical. The aircraft owner was not aware of the flight until after the crash. During the flight the pilot apparently experimented with speed, power and altitude control, eventually stalling the plane and entering an aerodynamic spin, as witnessed by persons on the ground. The pilot had no documented stall recovery or spin recovery training prior to the flight. Family and friends have affirmed that pilot suicide was not possible due to his positive social status and close family relations in place at the time of the accident.
The pilot had expressed some previous frustration concerning not having been allowed to solo the aircraft prior to this accident.

Probable Cause issued 5/28/2026 – 24 months after the accident: The student pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while practicing a power-on stall, which resulted in an inadvertent spin at an altitude from which he was unable to recover.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft, especially owners and flight instructors keep a closer watch on aircraft equipment to prevent future similar unauthorized operation by unqualified individuals.