Cessna 150 accident near Pt. Baker, Alaska, January 22, 1998
On January 22, 1998 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N5822E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pt. Baker, Alaska. It was a personal 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's failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1998 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pt. Baker, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5822E · no longer on the register · serial 17322
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had landed on a narrow, uneven, abandoned logging road in gusty crosswind conditions. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a bump in the road, and became airborne. A gust of wind pushed the airplane into adjacent trees. The pilot said the accident was caused by his inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions.
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: 283 hours in all; 283 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 246 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,861 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1997; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SIT Sitka AK at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,500 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 125° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.