Cessna 150J accident near Guntersville, Alabama, April 1, 1988
On April 1, 1988 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50715, was substantially damaged in an accident near Guntersville, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1988 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Guntersville, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50715 · no longer on the register · serial 15069502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SEAPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE WATER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PLT RPTD THAT A LARGE SPIDER DROPPED IN FRONT OF HIM AND DISTRACTED HIM. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A GRADUAL RIGHT TURN ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE WATER AT THE TIME. HE ATTEMPTED TO SWAT THE SPIDER WITH HIS HAT AND INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND INTO THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. HE EXITED THE AIRPLANE AS IT SANK AND WAS RESCUED BY A FISHERMAN. THE PLT NOTED THAT THE WATER WAS GLASSY AND THAT THE SKY WAS OVERCAST AT THE TIME. HE INDICATED THAT THE LACK OF NEARBY OUTSIDE VISUAL REFERENCES CONTRIBUTED TO HIS INADVERTENTLY ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND INTO THE WATER.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,715 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 1,671 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,463 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.