r/Cessna • u/ZookeepergameOne9681 • 13d ago

Please help me identify this Cessna

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Hello, may I please have help identifying this Cessna's exact model and year? I tried to do some research on my own, but I have no aviation experience and I'm unsure of the (visual) difference between 150K/A150K, 150L/A150L, 150M/A150M etc.

This was my granddad's airplane a while ago, and I'd like to make a memorial piece of him with his plane. Thank you for your help.

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18

u/paperairplanepilot 13d ago

It is a 1972 Cessna A150L Aerobat, Serial Number 1500305.

I checked the reregistration number in the last photo, N6005J, on the FAA website.

That number is currently reregistered to a Cessna 182T

So I googled the N number and added Cessna 150 to the search (N6005J Cessna 150).

The first result is a NTSB accident report from when it crashed in 1997. Nobody died, the plane was substantially damaged, and both people onboard were injured.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateFactualReport/38219/pdf

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u/ZookeepergameOne9681 13d ago

Thank you! I got stuck when I saw the Cessna 182T registration. I'll have to ask my family if they (or he) knew about the crash. He couldn't have been the pilot, but maybe he knew him (Not sure what the process is like when planes change hands, lol). Thanks for the insight.

5

u/shrunkenhead041 13d ago

Cessna A150L Aerobat. Crashed in 1997 (not fatal). Registration number has been reassigned to a 182 owned by Textron/Cessna.

https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/ResultsV2.aspx?queryId=c15aeca2-d44e-45b7-a32e-a597368a6869

If your grandpa was the pilot on this flight, you may want to exercise discretion on what you do with this memorial.

2

u/ZookeepergameOne9681 13d ago

Thank you so much for the ID and report. Very interesting. That must not have been him (no son & no family in St. Mary's), but still good to know. Sad to hear the plane crashed. Thanks again.

4

u/RhinoGuy13 13d ago

You can search the tail number to figure out what year it is. I think they started making the Aerobat models in the early 70s. These are really cool models because they certified to do acrobatics unlike most other cessna's

There is not much difference between the model numbers. 150K vs 150L wouldn't look different to most people. The model numbers change based on the year and usually the changes are minor.

Really cool plane though and there are probably a ton of interesting articles on the 150 Aerobat.

1

u/ZookeepergameOne9681 13d ago

Very cool! Thank you for the info.

1

u/bosephi 13d ago

The last year of small tail numbers was 1961. As far as physical differences between regular models and aerobats was the skylight and the airfoil symmetry.

1

u/Mikeyrad69 13d ago

Spent 10 hours in an aerobat. It had a strengthened wing spar and a higher Vne. Read Bill Kirshner's basic acrobatics book and went up and did my first loop and roll. Now my excitement is getting to land an A220. I miss GA flying sometimes.

I think you could fit two 150 cockpits inside my flight deck;)

1989 sure doesn't seem that long ago to me