Cessna 150L accident near Bellingham, Washington, August 13, 1985
On August 13, 1985 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N10647, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellingham, Washington (Anderson'S airport). It was a personal 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
- August 13, 1985 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bellingham, Washington · Anderson'S · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N10647 · registry record · serial 15074945
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT, WHO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, WAS GIVEN DIRECTIONS & TRAFFIC PATTERN INFO TO THE MEADOWS MIST ARPT, A A PVT/CHARTED STRIP NEAR BELLINGHAM, WA. SHE CAME UPON A SIMILAR GRASS STRIP IN THAT AREA WITH A PARKED ACFT ON IT. THINKING THIS UNCHARTED AIRSTRIP WAS HER DESTINATION, SHE LANDED. WHILE LANDING, SHE REALIZED THAT SHE WAS ON A STRIP THAT WAS MUCH SHORTER THAN THE 2000 FT STRIP THAT SHE HAD INTENDED TO LAND ON. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WENT OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY & INTO A BLUEBERRY PATCH.
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: 311 hours in all; 311 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 267 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 30, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 Auburn WA at 5:05 pm
- Destination: Bellingham WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 15
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:58 pm from BLI, 12 miles away
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.