- Date
- September 11, 1995, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Salida, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8554GCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950911028419A
- Case key
- 19580
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
Failure by the pilot to adequately plan the flight and the aircraft altitude capability. Factors are: high altitude, high density altitude, inadequate training in mountain flying, and lack of familiarity with the geographic area.
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
While attempting to climb through a mountain pass on a cross country instructional flight, the aircraft could not out climb terrain. A landing was made on a road and the aircraft collided with a rock wall during landing roll. Density altitude at the accident site was 12,500 feet MSL and the published aircraft altitude capability was 12,600 feet MSL. In addition, the pilot had no mountain flying experience or training.
Factual narrative
On September 11, 1995, at 1230 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N8554G, made a forced landing approximately 10 miles south of Salida, Colorado, on Poncha Pass. The flight instructor and student pilot received minor injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this Title 14 CFR Part 91 cross country instructional flight and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed Canon City, Colorado, at 1130.
Investigation revealed there were three aircraft flying in formation; a Cessna 172 with two persons aboard, a Cessna 150 with one person aboard, and the accident aircraft with two persons aboard.
The three aircraft were attempting to climb over Poncha Pass which is 9,010 feet above mean sea level (msl). Density altitude at the pass was calculated as approximately 12,500 feet. The Cessna 172 and the Cessna 150 with one person aboard cleared the pass. The accident aircraft could not out climb surrounding terrain and a forced landing was made on a county road near the top of the pass when the flight instructor could not reverse course and decrease altitude. According to the flight instructor, the road made a turn which the aircraft could not negotiate and the aircraft collided with a rock wall during landing roll. The flight instructor said he was flying up the center of the valley towards the pass summit when he realized the aircraft could not out climb terrain.
The flight instructor reported that he had 375 total flight hours and 62 hours in make and model at the time of the accident. The investigation revealed that he had no previous mountain flying experience and that he had received no training in mountain flying.
According to the aircraft manual, the service ceilinf for this model and year of Cessna is 12,650 feet msl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8554G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15062654
- Airframe hours
- 4,560
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dominih J. Strobel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 31, 1995 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- 1V6 · Canon City, CO
- Destination
- MTJ · Montrose, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 375 total · 62 in this make and model · 290 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GUC, 40 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.