WPR25FA108

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna A150L · Renslow, WA · March 4, 2025

Accident · FatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary report
Date
March 4, 2025, 15:55 local (23:55 UTC)
Place
Renslow, WA · 12 miles east of Ellensburg, WA
Injuries
1 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N6167FCessna A150L
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Textron Aviation, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20250304002619A
Case key
199801

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On March 4, 2025, at 1555 Pacific standard time, a Cessna A150L, N6167F, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Renslow, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had departed Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field (YKM), Yakima, Washington, about 1531 local, with an intended destination of Riverview Airpark (91WT), Chelan, Washington. An FAA alert notice (ALNOT) was issued at YKM, following a report from the friend of the pilot that they had not arrived at their intended destination. Wreckage was located the following morning in remote mountainous terrain by energy company personnel. A witness, who was hiking in the area of the accident site reported that they heard a loud noise, which caught their attention, to look around and document the weather conditions at that time. The witness did not observe the accident airplane, however, did note that a thunderstorm and gusting winds were present in the area about the time of the accident. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted snow covered terrain about 6 miles northeast of Renslow, Washington, near a wind and solar farm facility. The initial point of impact was an area of disturbed dirt and snow, that was about 12 ft wide, and 35 ft in length. Wreckage debris, which consisted of the propeller, plexiglass, metal fragments, and the left main wheel extended about 354 ft to the main wreckage on a magnetic heading of about 164°. The main wreckage came to rest inverted on a magnetic heading of about 197°. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Aircraft

Registration
N6167F
Reported as
Cessna A150L
Category
Airplane
Serial number
A1500437
Built
1973
Airframe hours
6,434.5
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Aerobatic
Departed
YKM · Yakima, WA
Destination
91WT · Chelan, WA
Equipment
Handheld GPS

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.

Weather

Wind
300° at 9 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
2,900 ft overcast
Temperature
48 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
KELN, 12 nm away
METAR
KELN 042353Z AUTO 30009KT 10SM OVC029 09/01 A3000 RMK AO2 RAE2258 SLP167 P0000 6//// T00890011 10094 20056

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.