- Date
- May 3, 1988, 23:55 local (May 4, 1988, 07:55 UTC)
- Place
- Kotzebue, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6592GCessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19880503012689A
- Case key
- 5003
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The aircraft crashed five miles south of the city along the beach line. FAA inspectors, the Alaska state troopers accident report and several witnesses revealed that the pilot stated prior to the flight that he intended to commit suicide. The plt had a fight with his girl friend that night and she said she told him she did not want to see him again. He was already under stress from problems at his home and had told a friend that he was going to commit suicide. He added that he had picked a place and was going to leave the ELT off so no one would find him. Post acc inspection showed that the acft hit a 70 ft cliff about 15 ft above the base near sadie creek. The acft at ground contact was in a 15 degree left bank with the nose slightly low. The acft was reported as 'buzzing' a fishing camp nearby and heading off in the direction of sadie creek about an hour before the crash.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6592G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072092
- Airframe hours
- 2,951
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Troy L. Adams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 1987
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 120 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 60° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OT2, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.