Cessna 150 accident near Palmer, Alaska, April 28, 1996
On April 28, 1996 at about 4:11 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N8115U, was destroyed in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power due to a malfunction of the airplane's magneto ignition system, and the pilot's failure to have an annual inspection performed. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's lack of recent experience and inadequate in-flight planning and decision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1996 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N8115U · registry record · serial 15077888
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to information provided by the pilot's family, the pilot went for a local flight prior to a planned church service at 1100. A property owner near the accident site heard the sound of an airplane approaching, a 'small explosion,' and the sound of an impact at 0811. He said the engine sounded normal until he heard the 'small explosion.' Examination of the engine revealed that the left and right magnetos were defective. Bench tests showed a malfunction with each magneto. The airplane had received an annual inspection 40 months prior to the accident. The records showed that the pilot's medical certificate had expired and that he was 28 months overdue for a biennial flight review. An examination of the accident site showed that the accident site was in the shadow of a mountain. The surrounding area showed that a forced landing area was located one-half mile away on a bearing of 320 degrees from the accident site.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 730 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 696 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,444 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1992; 442 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A48 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Birchwood AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.