Cessna 150 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, March 16, 2019
On March 16, 2019 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 150, registered N7095S, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Talkeetna, Alaska (Talkeetna airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of pitch control for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a collision with terrain during an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2019 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Talkeetna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 H, built 1967 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7095S · registry record · serial 15067795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that she initiated the takeoff at the beginning of the runway to use all 3,500 ft of available runway. She added that the flight controls were free and correct and that she applied power with the control yoke full aft for a "soft field" takeoff. The airplane "seemed" to become airborne earlier than normal, and during the initial climb, the nose of the airplane wanted to pitch up slightly. She applied "some" nose-down trim and pushed the yoke forward "slightly," and the airplane continued to climb. As the airspeed increased, the airplane's pitch attitude increased; she then applied full nose-down trim and full forward yoke and asked for help from her student. She then reduced the engine power to idle, performed an emergency landing, and the airplane came to rest in the trees. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 874 as pilot in command; 360 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,391.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A-14 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.29 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PATK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 23, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Roc | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Student Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.