Cessna 152 accident near Snohomish, Washington, March 12, 2018
On March 12, 2018 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 152, registered N6509L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Snohomish, Washington (Harvey Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind and in his failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2018 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · Harvey Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1980 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6509L · registry record · serial 15284425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust and the airplane pitched upward. During landing, the airplane bounced twice and each time it touched down on the nose landing gear, and subsequently both wings struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and the right-wing spar. The pilot reported that the wind at the airport about the time of the accident was from 100° at 12kts, gusting to 30kts. The pilot landed on runway 33.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 175 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 84 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 28, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,717.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 24, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 11,159 hours total
- Operator: Snohomish Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33R, 2,672 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KPAE, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 5, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6509L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.