Cessna 150F accident near Havre, Montana, January 30, 1998
On January 30, 1998 at about 8:30 am local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8798G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Havre, Montana (Havre City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's loss of control after his failure to maintain airspeed. Factors include his lack of total flight experience and incapacitation due to alcohol.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1998 · about 8:30 am local time
- Place
- Havre, Montana · Havre City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8798G · registry record · serial 15062898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had received three hours of dual instruction, but had not yet soloed. The airplane was removed from its hangar and flown without authorization from its owner. The student pilot's whereabouts were known until about 2347 the previous evening, and the airplane was first noted to be missing about 0530 in the morning. There were no known witnesses to the crash. However, one individual remembered seeing an airplane at 0130, which caught his attention, as it was departing to the east with winds from the west. He said the engine was not very loud, and the airplane was about 3-400 feet off the ground. He remembered seeing red and green lights and the airplane 'bobbing' in the wind, with the wings tipping from side to side. He left for work without paying further attention to the airplane, while it was still west of his house. The house is located about 1-2 blocks southwest of the crash site. FAA inspectors conducted an on-scene investigation and reported that no pre-crash mechanical anomalies were found. Toxicological testing by the FAA of samples from the student pilot confirmed a concentration of 52 mg/dl ethanol in blood, 116 mg/dl in brain fluid, and 152 mg/dl in urine.
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
- Flight time: 3 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,002 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 1997; 100 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: KHVR at 8:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,205 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:57 am from KHV
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.