- Date
- March 23, 1990, 18:45 local (Mar 24, 1990, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N60025Cessna 150J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900323005269A
- Case key
- 26761
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 failure of the pilot to anticipate the carburetor icing conditions and to take the appropriate precautions.
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
Both pilots indicated that while enroute they performed a series of chandelles and lazy eights. After the maneuvers were completed and the flight was again on course for modesto, the engine reportedly 'sputtered' suddenly, then quit completely. Engine power could not be restored and the aircraft collided with trees and terrain while attempting an emergency landing in a mountainous area at dusk. All fuel lines were found to be intact and properly secured to their respective component fittings. Approximately 16 gallons of fuel was found in the fuel tanks. The aircraft was examined by FAA airworthiness inspectors and no system or accessory abnormality was found. The closest official weather reporting station was reporting a temperature and dew point of 59 and 50 degrees respectively. The carburetor icing probability chart notes that the temperature and dew point fall into an area defined in the chart as 'serious icing --cruise or climb power'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60025
- Reported as
- Cessna 150J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15070012
- Airframe hours
- 6,345
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert S. Bertron
- Registered owner
- Robert S Bertron
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 26, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- HWD · Hayward, CA
- Destination
- MOD · Modesto, 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,979 total · 74 in this make and model · 1,457 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HWD, 18 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.