Cessna 150M accident near Bountiful, Utah, July 7, 1989
On July 7, 1989 at about 2:39 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N6318K, was destroyed in an accident near Bountiful, Utah (Salt Lake Skypark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPEED FOR THE TURNING MANEUVER (TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE) AND INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: IMPROPER UUSE OF THE FLAPS, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND A HIGH OBSTRUCTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1989 · about 2:39 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Salt Lake Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N6318K · no longer on the register · serial 15077640
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER MAKING A TOUCH-&-GO LANDING, THE PLT BEGAN A TAKEOFF WITH 10 DEG OF FLAPS. THE FLT MANUAL RCMDD TAKEOFFS BE MADE WITH THE FLAPS FULLY RETRACTED, EXCEPT FOR SHORT FIELD TAKEOFFS OR TAKEOFFS ON SOFT OR ROUGH FIELDS WITH NO OBSTACLES AHEAD. THE PLT STATED THAT AFTER CLIMBING TO ABOUT 300' AGL, HE NOTED THE ACFT WAS NOT CLIMBING PROPERLY & THAT THE ENG DID NOT SEEM TO BE PROVIDING FULL POWER. HE DID NOT CHECK THE ENG INSTRUMENTS TO VERIFY THE ENG PERFORMANCE. HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO ACCELERATE & STARTED A RIGHT TURN TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ACFT STALLED, THEN CRASHED BEFORE THE PILOT COULD RECOVER FROM A DESCENT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ENG WAS DEVELOPING POWER AT IMPACT. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE ARPT WAS APRX 6500'.
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: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,403 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 22, 1988; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from SLC, 5 miles away
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.