Cessna 150E accident near Ashton, Idaho, July 13, 2000
On July 13, 2000 at about 2:40 am local time, a Cessna 150E, registered N6196T, was destroyed in an accident near Ashton, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree while making a low pass over an outdoor gathering of individuals. Factors include the intentional low pass, a tree located in a shadow generated by the sun's low position at dusk, hilly terrain, and the 'pilot's' visual deficiency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2000 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Ashton, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150E · all 150Es on the register
- Registration
- N6196T · no longer on the register · serial 15060896
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The unlicensed 'pilot' of the Cessna 150 made a low pass over an open-air assembly of campers in order to drop a message to a family member who was part of the group below. Because the sun was in the process of setting, the tops of hills around the camp were illuminated with a golden glow. But the valley in which the camp was situated, including a coniferous tree located about 280 feet south of the camp, was sitting in the shadow created by a ridge to the west. Just after the note was dropped over the camp, the inboard portion of the aircraft's left wing collided with the top ten feet of the tree. The aircraft then spun/cartwheeled through the air for another 88 feet before impacting the surface of the gravel road. Upon impacting the road, the aircraft burst into flames and slid another 122 feet. During the 'pilot's' FAA physical in 1995, it was determined that he was blind in his left eye.
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
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: U12 St. Anthony ID at 2:25 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.