Cessna 150J accident near Vancouver, Washington, January 29, 1987
On January 29, 1987 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50922, was destroyed in an accident near Vancouver, Washington. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- January 29, 1987 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Vancouver, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50922 · no longer on the register · serial 15069645
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING FROM STAGE 3 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT DURING WHICH INSTRUCTOR NORMALLY ALLOWED STUDENT TO FLY. EVIDENCE INDICATES AIRCRAFT PASSED IN VICINITY OF HEAVY BIRD ACTIVITY AND STUDENT EXECUTED NOSE DOWN BIRD AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. INSTRUCTOR, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS POSSIBLY RELATED TO PREVIOUS BIRD STRIKE OCCURRENCE, EXECUTED A COUNTER MANEUVER (ROLLING PULLUP) WHICH RESULTED IN DESIGN LIMITATIONS OF RIGHT WING BEING EXCEEDED. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PILOT IMPAIRMENT NOR AIRCRAFT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,196 hours in all; 373 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,996 as pilot in command; 1,114 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,174 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 15, 1987; 22 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: 60S Vancouver WA at 10:29 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from PDX, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.