Cessna 150M accident near Auburn, Washington, April 12, 2000
On April 12, 2000 at about 8:51 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N9301U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Washington (Auburn Municipal airport). 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
The pilot's failure to follow aircraft operating procedures by not raising the flaps during the go-around maneuver. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to adhere to the balked landing checklist (FLAPS to 20) resulting in degraded climb performance, and the power lines in his flight path.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2000 · about 8:51 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Washington · Auburn Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9301U · no longer on the register · serial 15078251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, was conducting a low approach at full flaps (40 degrees) in the Cessna 150M to a minimum altitude of approximately five feet AGL above the runway. Following the go-around, he added full power but left the flaps fully extended. The aircraft failed to climb, and approaching high tension power lines across his flight path he made a gradual right turn, ultimately colliding with a second set of power lines perpendicular to his flight path and approximately 55 feet above ground. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the aircraft discussed flap settings for takeoff and specifically stated 'flap deflections greater than 10 degrees are not approved for takeoff.' Additionally, the POH also discussed balked landing procedures stating 'in a balked landing (go-around) climb, the wing flap setting should be reduced to 20 degrees immediately after full power is applied. The POH balked landing checklist included a requirement to retract the flaps to '20 DEGREES.' Post-crash examination revealed that the flaps were fully extended.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,397 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 5,196 as pilot in command; 1,915 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,866 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 1999; 72 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: RNT Renton WA at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from SEA, 7 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.