Cessna 150L accident near Sandpoint, Idaho, May 24, 1998
On May 24, 1998 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N1479Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandpoint, Idaho (Dave Wall Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of consciousness by the pilot-in-command/flight instructor, resulting in loss of aircraft control and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1998 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sandpoint, Idaho · Dave Wall Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1479Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072779
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight took off with approximately a 30-minute to 1-hour fuel supply. After takeoff, the pilot/flight instructor and dual student (on her first instructional flight) practiced airwork for approximately 15 minutes, then returned to the airport for touch-and-go landings. The flight instructor, who held an FAA medical certificate valid for third-class privileges at the time, reported that on the third touch-and-go pattern, while downwind, he lost consciousness. The dual student stated that while the instructor (her father) was piloting and speaking to her, the aircraft suddenly started heading for trees, and that she then shouted, 'What are you doing?!', but that the instructor did not respond. A witness reported that the airplane's engine sputtered and stalled as the airplane went into a steep left bank, and that it then crashed into the trees. FAA on-scene investigators found a very small quantity of fuel on board the aircraft, and the aircraft's propeller exhibited no evidence of significant engine power at impact. Records of the pilot's treatment at a local hospital following the accident contained discharge diagnoses of 'syncope prior to accident (probably related to atrial fibrillation)' and 'atrial fibrillation/junctional tachycardia.' The pilot/instructor reported that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved in the accident.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SZT Sandpoint ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.