Cessna 150L incident near Seattle, Washington, April 9, 1998
On April 9, 1998 at about 12:44 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N39AA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Field). 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 pilot's failure to reposition the flaps to the 20 degree position during a go-around, as called for in the Pilot's Operating Handbook. Factors include the pilot's decision to land long behind a departing aircraft, an encounter with wake turbulence during the landing sequence, and electric transmission lines in the vicinity of the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1998 · about 12:44 pm local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N39AA · registry record · serial 15075465
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting to land long behind a departing Beech D-18, the aircraft encountered wake turbulence that caused it to suddenly roll to the left. Upon encountering the turbulence, the pilot aborted the landing and added full power while attempting to maintain aircraft control. By the time the pilot had reestablished the aircraft in wings-level flight, it had veered to the left and was heading almost 90 degrees from the runway. The pilot then climbed straight ahead, but the aircraft became entangled in electrical transmission lines just after passing the western boundary of the airport. It was later determined that, during the attempted go-around, the pilot had not repositioned the flaps to the 20 degree position called for in the Pilot's Operating Handbook.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,491 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 2,491 as pilot in command; 197 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,625 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1998; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A48 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S42 Silverdale WA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: BOI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 10,001 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.