Cessna 150G accident near Cavanaugh Bay, Idaho, August 23, 2011
On August 23, 2011 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N2870S, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Cavanaugh Bay, Idaho (Cavanaugh Bay Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an attempt to execute a go-around with a tailwind condition, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2011 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Cavanaugh Bay, Idaho · Cavanaugh Bay Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2870S · no longer on the register · serial 15066770
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he recalled making a normal approach to a grass strip runway with a known 8- to 10-knot tailwind, but he did not remember the accident itself. One of two witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to be flying slower than normal on final approach, and both reported seeing the airplane begin to go around and hearing the engine at high power. The airplane then pitched up into a nose high attitude and entered a rapid descent consistent with an aerodynamic stall and spin. The airplane wreckage was located 150 yards from the boundary of the grass strip, resting on its nose, with the tail oriented vertically. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,803 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2010; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KWN8 Chattaroy WA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 66S Cavanaugh Bay ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,100 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KSZT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N2870S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.