Cessna 150 - Noteworthy Flights

Noteworthy Flights

• On August 8, 1964, a pair of commercial pilots flew a Cessna 150 into the Meteor Crater in Arizona. On crossing the rim, they could not maintain level flight. The pilot attempted to build up speed by circling in the crater to climb over the rim. During the attempted climb out, the aircraft stalled, crashed, and caught fire. It is commonly reported that the plane ran out out of fuel, but this is incorrect. Both occupants were severely injured but survived their ordeal. A small portion of the wreckage not removed from the crash site remains visible to this day.
• In the summer of 1980 a Cessna 150F was flown from London, England to Darwin, Australia in 32 stages by Jan Schönburg, a 27 year old female pilot. Schönburg made the flight to commemorate the 50th anniversary of pioneering female aviator Amy Johnson's 1930 flight between the two cities. This aircraft, UK registration G-AWAW, was used for several years as a static display at the London Science Museum. In May 2010 it was donated to the Cessna 150-152 Club, and shipped to Florida where it is being restored by club members.
• On September 12, 1994, Frank Eugene Corder intentionally crashed a Cessna 150L onto the South Lawn of the White House against the south wall of the Executive Mansion, in an apparent suicide attempt. Corder was killed, but no one else was injured and damage to property on the ground was minimal.
• In 1996 a Cessna 150 was flown from the United States to South Africa in several stages, crossing the Atlantic along the way. An extra 60 gallon fuel tank was installed (beyond the standard 22.5 gallons) and the plane took off 500 lb (230 kg) over gross weight.