Cessna 150 accident near Sabetha, Kansas, March 20, 1982
On March 20, 1982 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N60761, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sabetha, Kansas (Sabetha Muni airport). It was a ferry 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 1982 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sabetha, Kansas · Sabetha Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N60761 · registry record · serial 15070556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INITIATED A LANDING APPROACH TO RUNWAY 1 WITH THE WIND FROM 280 DEGREES AT 18, GUSTING 25 KNOTS. HE ENTERED FINAL APPROACH IN A CRAB AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY. WHEN OVER THE THRESHOLD, THE PLANE STARTED TO DRIFT RIGHT. IT SETTLED TO THE GROUND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND CONTINUED INTO A FIELD. THE PLANE HAD NEARLY STOPPED WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL ENCOUNTERED A SOFT SPOT AND A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE LEFT WING AND THE TAIL. THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS BACK.
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: 97 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 56 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,085 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: York NE at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Sabetha KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.