Cessna 150H accident near Parowan, Utah, April 23, 1998
On April 23, 1998 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N50385, was destroyed in an accident near Parowan, Utah (Parowan Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. Factors were the high density altitude, the high, gusty wind condition, and the diverted attention of the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1998 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Parowan, Utah · Parowan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N50385 · no longer on the register · serial 15069267
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane (powered by a 100 horse power engine) was departing from runway 22 (elevation 5,930 feet, density altitude 7,944 feet) and one witness said that it 'appeared to be flying very slow with its nose high.' Another witness reported that 'the engine was putting out everything it had at full RPM and it was smooth.' The flight instructor was seen waving to the people standing in front of the hangar. The above second witness further described the airplane as 'wobbling, struggling and mushing, and then it spun to the ground.' For approximately the last 3 years, the flight instructor had been towing banners in California with a Cessna 150 powered by 180 horse powered engine and modified with a STOL kit. A witness reported that the wind, at the time of the accident, was out of the south 20 to 25 knots gusting 30 to 35 knots. Several other witnesses reported that at the time of the airplane's departure, 'the wind was blowing loose dirt parallel to the ground.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,515 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 1998; 16 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: 1L9 at 5:10 pm
- Destination: CNO Chino CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:46 pm from CDC, 15 miles away
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.