Cessna 150L accident near Matlock, Washington, January 24, 2013
On January 24, 2013 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 150L, registered N18690, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Matlock, Washington (Sanderson Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power after a descent to a lower altitude due to the student pilot's delayed action in applying carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2013 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Matlock, Washington · Sanderson Field Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L, built 1972 · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N18690 · no longer on the register · serial 15074044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that while he was on his first solo cross country flight, the weather started to deteriorate. He descended to a lower altitude and as he proceeded towards the nearest airport, he noticed that the vertical speed indicator indicated a descent of 700 feet per minute. The pilot applied full power and the airplane continued to descend. The pilot elected to land on a nearby road. During the descent he ensured that the throttle was at full power, the mixture was full rich, and the fuel selector was on both fuel tanks. While on a base leg, the pilot applied carburetor heat. When he turned final he observed that he was too high; he idled the power and slipped the airplane to lose altitude. During the landing flare the left wing struck a sign; the airplane departed the roadway and came to rest inverted about 20 feet from the roadway. A postaccident examination and run of the engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Weather at the time of the accident reported a temperature of 4 degrees C, and a dewpoint of 4 degrees C. When graphed on the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, these weather conditions were conducive for serious icing at cruise power. It is likely that the pilot's delayed action in applying carburetor heat resulted in a partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 79 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,574 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2012
- 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: HQM Hoquiam WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: PWT Bremerton WA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; a few clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SHN, 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 15, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Run Examination (5 Embedded Images) | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin - Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N18690: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 150 7,993 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES 8,790 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Sanderson Field · nearest airport
- Bowerman Field · departed from
- Bremerton Ntl Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,709 since 1982 · 358 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,568 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13LA101.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.