Cessna 150L accident near Clinton, Maryland, October 11, 1998
On October 11, 1998 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N11951, was destroyed in an accident near Clinton, Maryland (Washington Executive/Hyde airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1998 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clinton, Maryland · Washington Executive/Hyde · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11951 · registry record · serial 15075729
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on his second supervised solo flight. The flight instructor was positioned at the end of the runway with a handheld radio. He stated that the student pilot had completed eight landings and this landing was to a full stop. The student pilot reported that everything was the same as the previous landings until the airplane 'experienced an updraft.' The airplane ballooned up and when it came down, it bounced back into the air. The student pilot stated that he 'pushed down nose to correct for lifting,' and could not recover. The nose wheel struck the runway, collapsing the nose gear. The airplane slid into the grass infield and came to rest in an upright position. No mechanical problems were found with the airplane.
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: 17 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 1998; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A48 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Aerodyne Services
The flight
- Departed from: W32 at 2:00 pm
- Destination: W32
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from ADW, 4 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.