Cessna 150K accident near Everglades City, Florida, January 11, 2003
On January 11, 2003 at about 8:53 pm local time, a Cessna 150K, registered N5629G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Everglades City, Florida (Everglades Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor's failure to maintain airspeed during climb after lift off from an aborted landing, resulting in the airplane stalling, entering a spin, and crashing into water at the departure end of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the instructor's improper monitoring of the dual student and the instructor's failure to abort an attempted go around when directional control was lost.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2003 · about 8:53 pm local time
- Place
- Everglades City, Florida · Everglades Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150K · all 150Ks on the register
- Registration
- N5629G · no longer on the register · serial 15071129
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor stated that the student was on a stable approach to runway 33, and when crossing the runway threshold the student brought the power to idle and immediately entered the landing flare. The airplane contacted the runway and bounced. The student advanced the throttle to initiate a go-around, and the airplane pitched up and banked approximately 10 degrees to the left. At this time the instructor took control of the aircraft and with both the student and instructor on the controls, the airplane banked right toward the runway. The student then let go of the controls. The aircraft continued to the right off the runway and impacted runway edge lights. He continued the go-around, raised the wing flaps, and checked that the carburetor heat was off. The airplane was airborne off the end of the runway but performance was poor. To avoid trees beyond the water inlet off the departure end, the instructor initiated a shallow left turn and ditched the airplane in the water. The right wheel impacted the water and rotated the airplane about 180 degrees. The dual student stated he was in the left seat. They approached runway 33 and landed hard. The airplane then ended up in the grass and the instructor took control of the airplane. The instructor got the airplane flying again and they climbed to about 100 feet. The engine was at full power. The airplane stalled, rolled to the right, and nosed down. The airplane then hit the water left wing and left side first. Witnesses stated the airplane landed hard and bounced into the air. The airplane touched down again while in a nose high attitude and full engine power was added. The airplane then ran off the right side of the runway and collided with runway lights and a sign. The elevator remained in the full nose up position and engine power remained at full power. The airplane lifted off and climbed to about 60-100 feet. The airplane then stalled and entered a spin to the right. After about 1/4 turn in a spin, the airplane crashed into the water. The instructor stated they had no mechanical diffilculties 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,950 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 6 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 8:30 pm
- Destination: X01 Everglades City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KAPF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.