# Accident 20000207013319A: Cessna 150J, San Carlos, CA, February 7, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 7, 2000, 06:03 local time - Place: San Carlos, CA - Airport: San Carlos Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.4899° N, 122.2093° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4899&lon=-122.2093&mi=10 - Aircraft: N63YZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N63YZ-2000-07-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150J (registry code 2071820, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150j) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150J - Reported engine: CONT O200A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,422 total, 70 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00FA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00FA090) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000207013319A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON 02/7/00, AT 0630 HOURS PST, A CESSNA 150J N63YZ, COLLIED WITH A GUIDE WIRE CABLE FROM A LOCAL RADIO TOWER NEAR REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT,WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY PILOT, WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, AND WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PILOT TO COMMUTE TO WORK. THE FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS DESTINED FOR SAN CARLOS AIRPORT. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED THAT AT 0600 HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVER HIS HOUSE AT APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 FEET HEADNG AWAY FROM THE AIRCPORT ABOUT 75 PEWR CENT POWER. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING UNDER THE FOG BANK AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTH, HE SOON LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT FLEW INTO THE FOG. THE WITNESS IS A CURRENT PILOT WITH INSTRUMENT RATINGS. ANOTHER WITNESS AT A JOB SIGHT NEAR THE CRASH HEARD THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 7, 2000, AT 0603 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150J, N63YZ, COLLIDED WITH A GUIDE WIRE ON A LOCAL RADIO TOWER NEAR REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE PURPOSE OF THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PILOT TO COMMUTE TO WORK. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS DESTINED FOR SAN CARLOS AIRPORT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. FAMILY MEMBERS SAID THAT THE PILOT REGULARLY COMMUTED FROM HIS HOME NEAR SACRAMENTO TO HIS JOB AS AN ELECTRICIAN AT THE SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. A WITNESS WHO LIVED IN THE NEARBY COMMUNITY OF REDWOOD SHORES STATED THAT HE WAS OUTSIDE HIS HOME AND VISUALLY WATCHED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE FLY DIRECTLY OVER HIS HOUSE IN A NORTHEAST BOUND DIRECTION, AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROX. 300-400 FEET AGL, AND THAT HE ESTIMATED THE PILOT WAS USING "75 PERCENT OF CRUISE POWER". THE WITNESS EXPLAINED TO THJE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT HE HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH INSTRUMENT AND MULTIENGINE RATINGS. HE SAID HE COULD SEE THE PILOT WAS FLYING BELOW A FOG BANK, HEARD THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND OBSERVED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. THE WITNESS SAID HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AND WENT BACK INTO HIS HOUSE. ANOTHER WITNESS, WHO WAS A CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN ON A NEARBY JOB SITE, SIAD HE HEARD THE SOUND OF A SMALL AIRPLANE, LOW TO THE GROUND, AND THEN THE CRASH. HE SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE "DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS". HE STATED HE WENT OUTSIDE BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE FOG. THE REDWOOD CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND HAD TO INITIATE A FOOT SEARCH FOR THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE DENSE FOG IN THE AREA. THEY SAID THAT INTITIALLY THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE ANY PART OF THE LIGHTED RADIO TOWER DUE TO THE FOG. SUBSEQUENTLY, SEARCH PERSONNEL FOUND THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE BENEATH THE GUIDE WIRES OF A COMMERCIAL RADIO ANTENNA ABOUT 2 1/4 MILES NE OF THE SAN CARLOS AIRPORT. ## 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 LAX00FA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00FA090), Feb 7, 2000: Cessna 150J (N63YZ), Redwood City, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors were the pilot's improper remedial action and his self-induced pressure. 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.