- Date
- July 23, 1986, 14:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5917TCessna 150D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860723035509A
- Case key
- 25221
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
A Cessna 150D collided with the pacific ocean while spotting fish approximately 5 mi from the coast. The acft owner and operator indicated that the plt was FAA licensed and current. FAA records revealed the plt was issued a student plt certificated along with his third class medical on may 8, 1986. The acft was spotting fish for a fishing vessel also owned by the acft operator. The acft normally circled the boat at approximately 800 ft AGL and reported fish sightings via the radio. The fishing vessel crewmembers heard the acft impact the water approximately 100 ft from the ship, but did not see it. The acft was in contact with the ship via radio and there was no distress call. A crewmember stated there did not seem to be any change in the engine noise prior to impact. The operator also indicated that the acft was lost at sea. The acft was destroyed when it sank in approximately 2,600 feet of water. The student plt is missing and presumably fatally injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5917T
- Reported as
- Cessna 150D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15060617
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John A. Kastlunger
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1986
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SDM, 25 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.