Cessna 150E accident near Ellensburg, Washington, July 27, 1983
On July 27, 1983 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150E, registered N4098U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ellensburg, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- July 27, 1983 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ellensburg, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150E · all 150Es on the register
- Registration
- N4098U · no longer on the register · serial 15061498
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING A FORCED LANDING ON A ROUGH ROAD. THE ACFT ENGINE HAD QUIT WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH4500 FT AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT TRIED LEANING AND PITOT HEAT. SINCE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START THE PILOT PICKED A DIRT ROAD FOR LANDING. THE ENGINE RESTARTED JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN BUT THE PILOT COULD NOT CLIMB WITH FULL FLAPS SO WHEN THE GEAR TOUCHED HE CONTINUED THE LANDING. THE GEAR BROKE OFF DURING THE ROLL-OUT.
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, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 252 in this make and model; 183 in the last 90 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1983; 157 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELN Ellensburg WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MVH Moses Lake WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from YKM, 30 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.