Cessna 150L accident near Yamhill, Oregon, September 7, 1991
On September 7, 1991 at about 2:25 am local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N19578, was destroyed in an accident near Yamhill, Oregon (Flying M airport). It was a personal 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
INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AN UNCONTROLLED STALL, A TAIL WIND, REMEDIAL ACTION WAS NOT PERFORMED, AND POOR COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1991 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Yamhill, Oregon · Flying M · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N19578 · no longer on the register · serial 15074501
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, WITH A 25 KNOT TAIL WIND, GUSTING TO 35 KNOTS, THE AIRPLANE WAS VIEWED TO MAKE THREE S TURNS WITH A HIGHER THAN NORMAL ANGLE OF ATTACK. DURING A TURN TO THE LEFT, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED VERTICAL TO THE TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN, ON THE EDGE OF AN OPEN FIELD, IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. A POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE AND THERE WERE NO NOTED MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
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: 350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.