Cessna 150M and amateur-built Beaver DHC-2 mid-air collision near Renton, Washington, August 5, 2005
On August 5, 2005, 2 aircraft, Cessna 150M (N66234) and amateur-built Beaver DHC-2 (N741DB), were involved in a mid-air collision near Renton, Washington (Renton Municipal Airport). 2 people were killed; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the Cessna pilot to maintain visual separation and the failure of the DHC-2 Beaver pilot to understand air traffic advisory information, resulting in a midair collision. A factor contributing to the accident was the inadequate traffic advisory information provided by air traffic controllers.
The failure of the DHC-2 Beaver pilot to understand air traffic advisory information and the failure of the Cessna pilot to maintain visual separation, resulting in a midair collision. A factor contributing to the accident was the inadequate traffic advisory information provided by air traffic controllers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2005
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Renton Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N66234 · no longer on the register · serial 15075939
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built Beaver DHC-2
- Registration
- N741DB · registry record · serial 1331
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 150M final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Cessna 150, N66234, and a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, N741DL, collided in flight while preparing to enter the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 33. The collision occurred about one and one-half miles northeast of the airport. Both aircraft were under the control of a developmental air traffic controller who was being supervised by a certified controller. The Cessna pilot contacted the tower controller and was instructed to enter a right downwind via the forty-five. The controller advised, "...traffic ahead and to your right, one thousand six hundred, turning southbound, type unknown." The pilot did not respond. About 15 seconds later the pilot of another DHC-2 Beaver, N715JR, contacted the controller and was advised that the Cessna was passing behind him, was no factor, and to enter right downwind for runway 33. The pilot acknowledged. Approximately 20 seconds later the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver made his initial contact with the controller, who replied, "…ok, you have traffic twelve o'clock, two miles, a Cessna, one thousand three hundred southbound." The pilot advised he was looking for the traffic. About 17 seconds passed when the controller instructed the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver, "…enter downwind via the 45, you'll be following that Cessna ahead and to your right." The pilot responded, "Ok, we'll be landing on the water," and the controller replied, "Roger that, he's landing on the hard surface, you'll be doing a low approach over the water, understand." About 40 seconds passed, when the controller asked the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver if he had the Cessna in sight, to which the pilot replied, "…ah, we've got an aircraft on downwind ahead of us in sight," with the controller acknowledging, "roger, follow that aircraft." The pilot acknowledged, stating later in his statement, "The Beaver ahead of me was given clearance to proceed as requested. I informed the tower that I had the traffic ahead and on downwind in sight and was told to follow him." About five seconds later the pilot of the other DHC-2 Beaver reported entering downwind and would be landing on the water, and approximately 30 seconds later the controller instructed the Cessna to proceed direct to the downwind. Less than five seconds passed before the controller advised the Cessna pilot, "and you have traffic off your right wing, has you in sight, one thousand six hundred, floatplane." The pilot of the Cessna replied, "…traffic in sight." Approximately 15 seconds later the controller confirmed that the accident DHC-2 Beaver would be landing on the water, with the pilot replying, "…affirmative. We have the aircraft on base." About five seconds later the controller asked the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver, "…do you have the traffic that's passing underneath you still?" The pilot responded, "ah yah, base to final landing on the water." The Cessna's right wing glanced off the Beaver's left front float bow bumper before impacting the forward inboard side of the right float as the Beaver's propeller penetrated the upper outboard section of the right wing. A subsequent impact with the Cessna's empennage rendered the airplane uncontrollable, resulting in a steep uncontrolled descent prior to impacting a vacant school building. The pilot of the Beaver transmitted the collision information and subsequently landed with substantial damage to 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 NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built Beaver DHC-2 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Cessna 150, N66234, and a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, N741DL, collided in flight while preparing to enter the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 33. The collision occurred about one and one-half miles northeast of the airport. Both aircraft were under the control of a developmental air traffic controller who was being supervised by a certified controller. The Cessna pilot contacted the tower controller and was instructed to enter a right downwind via the forty-five. The controller advised, "...traffic ahead and to your right, one thousand six hundred, turning southbound, type unknown." The pilot did not respond. About 15 seconds later the pilot of another DHC-2 Beaver, N715JR, contacted the controller and was advised that the Cessna was passing behind him, was no factor, and to enter right downwind for runway 33. The pilot acknowledged. Approximately 20 seconds later the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver made his initial contact with the controller, who replied, "…ok, you have traffic twelve o'clock, two miles, a Cessna, one thousand three hundred southbound." The pilot advised he was looking for the traffic. About 17 seconds passed when the controller instructed the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver, "…enter downwind via the 45, you'll be following that Cessna ahead and to your right." The pilot responded, "Ok, we'll be landing on the water," and the controller replied, "Roger that, he's landing on the hard surface, you'll be doing a low approach over the water, understand." About 40 seconds passed, when the controller asked the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver if he had the Cessna in sight, to which the pilot replied, "…ah, we've got an aircraft on downwind ahead of us in sight," with the controller acknowledging, "roger, follow that aircraft." The pilot acknowledged, stating later in his statement, "The Beaver ahead of me was given clearance to proceed as requested. I informed the tower that I had the traffic ahead and on downwind in sight and was told to follow him." About five seconds later the pilot of the other DHC-2 Beaver reported entering downwind and would be landing on the water, and approximately 30 seconds later the controller instructed the Cessna to proceed direct to the downwind. Less than five seconds passed before the controller advised the Cessna pilot, "and you have traffic off your right wing, has you in sight, one thousand six hundred, floatplane." The pilot of the Cessna replied, "…traffic in sight." Approximately 15 seconds later the controller confirmed that the accident DHC-2 Beaver would be landing on the water, with the pilot replying, "…affirmative. We have the aircraft on base." About five seconds later the controller asked the pilot of the accident DHC-2 Beaver, "…do you have the traffic that's passing underneath you still?" The pilot responded, "ah yah, base to final landing on the water." The Cessna's right wing glanced off the Beaver's left front float bow bumper before impacting the forward inboard side of the right float as the Beaver's propeller penetrated the upper outboard section of the right wing. A subsequent impact with the Cessna's empennage rendered the airplane uncontrollable, resulting in a steep uncontrolled descent prior to impacting a vacant school building. The pilot of the Beaver transmitted the collision information and subsequently landed with substantial damage to 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 for the Cessna 150M from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: 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: 511 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 426 as pilot in command; 57 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 3 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,103 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNT Renton WA at 11:45 pm
- Destination: RNT Renton WA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the amateur-built Beaver DHC-2 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 2,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,870 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7 lb
- Seats: 5370
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sound Flight Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Barkley Sound at 11:23 pm
- Destination: RNT Renton WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 5,382 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.