Cessna 150 accident near Welch, West Virginia, May 10, 1996
On May 10, 1996 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N6303S, was destroyed in an accident near Welch, West Virginia. 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 impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol which led to his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to clear obstacles. A factor was his intentional buzzing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1996 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Welch, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N6303S · no longer on the register · serial 15067103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane flying low and erratically. One witness indicated that the airplane nearly struck power lines in front of his house and that the airplane appeared to be 'doing tricks.' Another witness reported that he met the pilot and the passenger in a bar before they went to the airport, and that they '...bought a six pack of beer and each of them drank just a little out of one can.' The airplane impacted power lines, then collided with terrain. Toxicological test results for the pilot indicated 183.000 mg/dl of ethanol detected in the blood (0.183% BAC) and 228.000 mg/dl of ethanol detected in the urine.
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: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I25 WV at 7:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from BLF, 17 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.