Cessna 150H accident near Kent, Washington, April 7, 2012
On April 7, 2012 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 150H, registered N6616S, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Kent, Washington (Crest Airpark 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 airplane control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2012 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kent, Washington · Crest Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H, built 1967 · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6616S · no longer on the register · serial 15067416
- 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 he was on a personal cross-country flight to visit friends and that he had intended to land at a private uncontrolled airstrip; however, he did not recall the events leading up to the accident. A witness in the area reported hearing an unusual sound that drew his attention to the airplane. He observed the airplane flying about 20 ft above the ground in a 90-degree, right-wing-low attitude when it collided with trees. The airplane came to rest inverted about midfield of the airstrip on a street adjacent to the airstrip in a residential neighborhood. A postaccident airframe and engine examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that, while the pilot was maneuvering the airplane on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the destination airstrip, he failed to maintain control and subsequently collided with trees.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SHN Shelton WA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: S36 Kent WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 3,288 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from SEA, 11 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.
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.