Cessna 150G accident near Vancouver, Washington, February 19, 1996
On February 19, 1996 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3272J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vancouver, Washington (Evergreen airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, and his delay in aborting the takeoff after noting sluggish acceleration. Factors were: the carburetor icing conditions, the trees off the end of the runway, and the soft ground conditions in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1996 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Vancouver, Washington · Evergreen · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3272J · registry record · serial 15065972
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after power application during a touch-and-go the aircraft 'did not seem to accelerate normally.' He elected to continue the takeoff, and checked power and that the carburetor heat was in. He stated that 'I used every inch of the runway', and that after becoming airborne, the plane climbed only to 20 feet, 'then seemed to settle and slow.' As the airplane approached trees off the end of the runway, the pilot became concerned that he would not clear them and made a straight-ahead forced landing. The airplane's nose gear collapsed during the forced landing; the airplane's nose then dug into soft earth and the airplane flipped over. Temperature and dew point conditions reported at Portland, Oregon, 8 nautical miles away, were in a regime of 'serious icing - any power' on a Transport Canada carburetor icing hazard probability chart.
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: 198 hours in all; 116 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,011 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 13, 1996; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 59S at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28R, 2,545 ft by 42 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from PDX, 8 miles away
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.