Cessna 152 and Beech J35 mid-air collision near Snohomish, Washington, August 30, 1989
On August 30, 1989 at about 2:55 am local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 152 (N49231) and Beech J35 (N66QB), were involved in a mid-air collision near Snohomish, Washington (Harvey Field). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF N66QB, A BEECH J35, TO SEE AND AVOID THIS AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN, AND THE LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS OF DUSK ON THE GROUND BELOW.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID N49231, A CESSNA 172. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: A FLIGHT PATH DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN, AND THE LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS OF DUSK ON THE GROUND BELOW.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1989 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · Harvey Field · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49231 · no longer on the register · serial 15281206
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Beech J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N66QB · no longer on the register · serial D-5550
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 152 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE C-172, N49231, HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 32 AT HARVEY FIELD, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, ON AN INSTRUMENT TRAINING FLIGHT. RADAR DATA SHOWS THAT THE C-172 WAS CLIMBING OUT AT 700-800 FPM AT 65 KTS AND ON A TRUE HEADING OF 310 DEG. THE BE-J35, N66QB, HAD DEPARTED EARLIER FROM PAYNE FIELD AT EVERETT. RADAR DATA SHOWS THAT THE BE-J35 WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 130 KTS AND ON A TRUE TRACK OF 280 DEG. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AT 1,600 FT MSL IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE. THE CABIN TOP AND LEFT WING OF THE HIGH-WING C-172 DISPLAYED LINEAR SCRATCHES, GOUGES AND PAINT SMEARS WHICH MATCHED THE IMPACT DAMAGE, SCRATCHES AND GOUGES FOUND ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE LEFT WING OF THE LOW-WING BE-J35. OFFICIAL SUNSET WAS 1 MINUTE AFTER THE ACCIDENT; THE SUN WOULD HAVE BEEN 0.01 DEG ABOVE THE HORIZON AT THE COLLISION ALTITUDE, AND AT A TRUE BEARING OF 284.6 DEG FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. WITNESSES REPORTED DUSK DARK LIGHT CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.
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 Beech J35 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE C-152, N49231, HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 32 AT HARVEY FIELD, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, ON AN INSTRUMENT TRAINING FLIGHT. RADAR DATA SHOWS THAT THE C-172 WAS CLIMBING OUT AT 700-800 FPM AT 65 KTS AND ON A TRUE HEADING OF 310 DEG. THE BE-J35, N66QB, HAD DEPARTED EARLIER FROM PAYNE FIELD AT EVERETT. RADAR DATA SHOWS THAT THE BE-J35 WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 130 KTS AND ON A TRUE TRACK OF 280 DEG. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AT 1,600 FT MSL IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE. THE CABIN TOP AND LEFT WING OF THE HIGH-WING C-172 DISPLAYED LINEAR SCRATCHES, GOUGES AND PAINT SMEARS WHICH MATCHED THE IMPACT DAMAGE, SCRATCHES AND GOUGES FOUND ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE LEFT WING OF THE LOW-WING BE-J35. OFFICIAL SUNSET WAS 1 MINUTE AFTER THE ACCIDENT; THE SUN WOULD HAVE BEEN 0.01 DEG ABOVE THE HORIZON AT THE COLLISION ALTITUDE, AND AT A TRUE BEARING OF 284.6 DEG FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. WITNESSES REPORTED DUSK DARK LIGHT CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.
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 152 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,718 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 25, 1989; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA at 2:50 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from PAE, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Beech J35 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,300 hours in all; 132 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,579 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA at 2:35 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.