Cessna 150H accident near Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, September 1, 1998
On September 1, 1998 at about 9:02 pm local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N50009, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the number one cylinder exhaust valve resulting in loss of engine power and a forced landing on unsuitable terrain at which time the aircraft nosed over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1998 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N50009 · registry record · serial 15069006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he applied full power and was climbing to a higher altitude as he crossed a bay. The engine suddenly made a loud noise and lost power. He turned back to the closest shore and an airport. He was unable to reach the airport and made a forced landing in a sandy area, at which time the aircraft nosed over. Postcrash examination of the engine by an FAA inspector showed the No. 1 cylinder exhaust valve head had broken off from the stem resulting in the No. 1 piston breaking and the No. 1 connecting rod bending. The No. 1 exhaust valve had accumulated 1,527 flight hours since new.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 361 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 298 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,852 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1998; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSE Hatteras NC at 8:15 pm
- Destination: MQI Manteo NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from MQI, 10 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.