Cessna 150 accident near Big Lake, Alaska, September 6, 1999
On September 6, 1999 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N63460, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska (Jewell Airstrip airport). 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 inadequate preflight planning. Factors associated with this accident were the pilot's failure to use the takeoff performance charts, the short runway and uphill takeoff, and a sudden windshift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1999 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · Jewell Airstrip · 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
- N63460 · registry record · serial 15077331
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the initial climb after takeoff from the 1,350 feet long grass airstrip, the airplane's left wing contacted brush, the airplane pivoted 180 degrees, and the right wing struck the ground. The pilot said he was departing uphill, and the winds were five to ten knots. The pilot also indicated that the headwind stopped during the takeoff. The Cessna 150 Takeoff Distance performance charts for 1,600 pounds takeoff weight, 20 degrees Celsius, and sea level pressure altitude, indicate the required ground roll is 765 feet, and the distance to clear a 50 feet high obstacle is 1,435 feet. The chart provides a 10% reduction in distance for each 9 knots headwind, and a 15% increase in distance for dry grass. No correction is provided to account for the uphill slope.
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: 599 hours in all; 415 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 517 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,567 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1999; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,350 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.