- Date
- May 1, 1994, 20:15 local (May 2, 1994, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N150SCessna 150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940501009999A
- Case key
- 41920
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor to the accident was: crosswind.
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
During the landing roll with a 90 degree crosswind, a gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing and pushed the tail to the left. The pilot tried to correct with left rudder and applied full throttle in an attempt to become airborne. The airplane travelled off the side of the runway and collided with several christmas trees before coming to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On May 1, 1994, at 2015 Pacific daylight time, the pilot of a tailwheel equipped Cessna 150K, N150S, lost control of the airplane during the landing roll at Chehalis, Washington. The airplane exited the runway and collided with trees. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was not injured.
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings with a 90 degree crosswind. During the landing roll, the pilot stated that a gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing and pushed the tail to the left. The pilot applied left rudder control, however, the airplane did not react. The airplane veered to the right, and the pilot stated that "...in my haste to save the airplane, I pushed in full throttle to try and get the aircraft flying again and straighten out." The airplane travelled off the side of the runway and collided with several Christmas trees near the runway before coming to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N150S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15071436
- Airframe hours
- 5,266
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keiper, David L.
- Registered owner
- Keiper, David L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 1994 · 10 hours before
- Airport
- CLS · Chehalis-Centralia, runway 15, 5,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 459 total · 76 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.