# Accident 19980607012519A: Cessna 152, Descanso, CA, June 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 7, 1998, 14:50 local time - Place: Descanso, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.8996° N, 116.6205° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8996&lon=-116.6205&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5343M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5343M-2001-09-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 - Reported engine: LYC O235L2C - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA187) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980607012519A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. VFR NOT ADVISED CFI WNET ANYWAY. STALLED IN STEEP TURNBACK ENCOUNTERING. WEATHR AS GIVEN. 152 BURNED ON IMPACT. (-23) ON JUNE 7, 1998, JEAN-JACQUES R. BELLIER, ACTING AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WITH STUDENT PILOT RICHARDSON BRIAN MURPHY AATTHE CONTROLS, DEPARTED MONTGOMERY AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED AS A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO IMPERIAL AIRPORT IN A CESSNA 152. BELLIER WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS MODERATE TO SEVER TURBULENCE OVER MOUNTAINS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. EASTBOUND AT 4000 FEET, THEY ENCOUNTERED LOW CLOUDS. BELLIER TOOK THE CONTROLS AND ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE LEFT TURN. WHILE IN THE TURN, A STRONG DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED, RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. (.4) THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT THE CROSS-COUNTRY PORTION OF THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT TRAINING TO OBTAIN A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. A COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE BISECTED THE COURSE BETWEEN THE TAKEOFF AIRPORT, WHICH WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CLOUD LAYERS, AND THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, WHICH WAS IN CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS. BOTH THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT RECEIVED THREE SEPARATE WEATHER BRIEFINGS STATING THAT VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOM MENDED ALONG THE INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT DUE TO MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND MODERATE TURBULENCE. AS THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS THAT WERE MERGING WITH HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE CFI ELECTED TO TURN AROUND. THE CFI SAID THAT HALF WAY THROUGH THE 180-DEGREE TURN, THEY WERE STRUCK BY A STRONG DOWNDRAFT THAT PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE GROUND. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE AT 150 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AS IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS EXECUTING A LEFT TURN, AND THEN SAW IT ABRUPTLY DESCEND AND IMPACT TREES AND TERRAIN. THE WITNESS ALSO SAID THAT THERE WERE STRONG GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS PRESENT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME. A METEOROLOGICAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED THAT SUBSTANTIATED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA187), Jun 7, 1998: Cessna 152 (N5343M), Descanso, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: the certified flight instructor's disregard of the weather briefings and forecasted en route weather conditions, and, his failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance in mountainous terrain.… ## Other reports on N5343M (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19850123002959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850123002959I), Jan 23, 1985: Cessna 152 (N5343M), Pueblo, CO, Minor damage. Pilot could not locate airport for refueling. Elected to fly to next stop. Ran out of fuel, landed in field. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.