Cessna 150L accident near Bonner Springs, Kansas, May 2, 1999
On May 2, 1999 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N11143, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bonner Springs, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to obtain sufficient altitude during the aborted landing to clear obstacles at the end of the field. Factors associated with the accident were poor preflight planning/preparation, the tailwind, the telephone pole, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1999 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Bonner Springs, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11143 · no longer on the register · serial 15075219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a telephone pole and terrain during an aborted landing from a (1,004' x 55') upsloping grass field. The pilot stated the airplane bounced on landing, and he and the passenger were hit in the head with a car fender brace that he had in the back of the airplane. The pilot stated he 'blacked out' temporarily and when he regained consciousness, he noticed his passenger slumped over. He stated he was afraid he was going to hit the silo at the end of the field so he applied full power and tried to gain airspeed. The airplane contacted trees off the end of the runway. The pilot stated the landing was being made with a 14 knot quartering tailwind. The pilot stated he always landed to the west (uphill) and took off to the east (downhill). A witness reported the airplane touched down long and bounced prior to him hearing an increase in engine power.
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: 200 hours in all; 156 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 1998; 42 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: MKC Kansas City MO at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from MKC, 15 miles away
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.