Cessna 150L accident near Alderwood, Washington, April 15, 1987
On April 15, 1987, a Cessna 150L, registered N5437Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alderwood, Washington (Martha Lake Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- April 15, 1987
- Place
- Alderwood, Washington · Martha Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N5437Q · registry record · serial 15073337
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT TOOK OFF AND LANDED WITH A 15 KNOT TAILWIND. DURING HIS SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND AN OVERUN OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT ONTO SOFT GROUND WHERE IT NOSED OVER INVERTED. THIS WAS THE STUDENT PILOTS SECOND SOLO FLIGHT. PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT HE HAD LOGGED .4 OF SOLO TIME.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S13 Alderwood WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 1,700 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N5437Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.