- Date
- May 30, 1989, 16:42 local (23:42 UTC)
- Place
- Ontario, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N23954Aeronca 50F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890530013409A
- Case key
- 26422
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
The pilot's inability to compensate for existing wind conditions, resulting in the inability to maintain a climb.
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
The private pilot reported that the airplane encountered either a strong down draft or wind shear during climbout at approximately 150 ft AGL. He said that he was unable to stop the descent and the airplane settled to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23954
- Reported as
- Aeronca 50F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F6189
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey W. Pearson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- ONT · Ontario
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 330 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Observed at
- ONT, 5 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.