Cessna 150G accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, November 3, 1992
On November 3, 1992 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3144X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska. 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
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S (CFI) IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION TO ATTEMPT A DOWN WIND FORCED LANDING IN HIGH SURFACE WIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1992 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3144X · no longer on the register · serial 15064544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A STUDENT PILOT UNDER DUAL INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTOR ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT COMPLETED A CRUISE DESCENT WITH LOW ENGINE POWER AND DEVELOPED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL AND EFFORTS TO REGAIN POWER WITH CARBURETOR HEAT AND FULL THROTTLE WERE INEFFECTIVE. ATTEMPTS TO POSITION FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT A BLM STRIP WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL DUE TO HIGH WINDS. AN ALTERNATE LANDING AREA WAS SELECTED ON A DRY RIVER BED, HOWEVER, THE DECISION TO TURN INTO THE WIND WAS NOT MADE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 200 FOOT AGL, TOO LATE TO AVOID A TAILWIND LANDING. DURING THE TAILWIND LANDING THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE WHEEL WAS DESTROYED ON INITIAL IMPACT AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 770 hours in all; 660 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 680 as pilot in command; 504 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,280 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 28, 1992; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 2:15 pm
- Destination: TOK Tok AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 28 knots, gusting 38
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from BIG, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.