Cessna 150 accident near Renton, Washington, June 4, 2019
On June 4, 2019 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 150, registered N8685S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Renton, Washington (Renton Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control and his overapplication of right rudder and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing, which resulted in a ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2019 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Renton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 F, built 1965 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N8685S · no longer on the register · serial 15061985
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, after landing, the airplane veered left. In an attempt to correct back to centerline, the pilot receiving instruction applied full right rudder. The instructor immediately applied full left rudder and brake to prevent a ground-loop, but the airplane ground looped to the right, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor reported that a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane's systems and found no anomalies. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 34.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 594 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 541 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 29, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,049 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 1,757 as pilot in command; 1,047 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,960 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 600 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 9:50 pm
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,382 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KRNT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 2, 2019. 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 | Accident 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.
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.