LAX92FA130

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150M · San Ysidro, CA · February 29, 1992

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
February 29, 1992, 08:56 local (16:56 UTC)
Place
San Ysidro, CA
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N45165Cessna 150M
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 11, 1993
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19920229004599A
Case key
27407

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The certified flight instructor's improper supervision of the flight to correct the student pilot's improper use of the flight controls resulting in an excessive angle of attack and failure to maintain the proper airspeed. Contributing to this accident was the inadvertent stall/spin.

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.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Supervision - improperPilot in command(cfi)Cause
Airspeed(vs) - not correctedPilot in command(cfi)Cause
Flight controls - not correctedPilot in command(cfi)Cause
Stall - inadvertentDual studentFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - open field

Analysis

A Cessna 150M collided with level terrain after experiencing an in flight loss of control. The airplane had completed a touch and go landing and takeoff. When the airplane was on the initial climb phase the local controller instructed the pilot to change the landing runway. The flight was instructed to turn right proceed south of the airport and enter left traffic to land on the opposite runway. Tower personnel observed the airplane between 200 - 300 feet AGL when it entered into a left spin, descended uncontrolled and impacted the level terrain north of the approach end of the runway. A pilot witness reported that he first noticed the airplane climbing at a unusually nose-high attitude about 100 ft. AGL and level off momentarily. About 10 seconds later, at about 150 ft. AGL, the airplane again entered into an extreme nose high attitude, stalled and spun to the left. There was no evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions found with the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N45165
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Category
Airplane
Serial number
76763
Engine
Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Escalante, Juan N, III
Registered owner
Escalante, Juan N, III
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · November 15, 1991
Airport
SDM · Brown Field, runway 26, 7,999 × 200 ft, asphalt

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
44
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Right
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
4,960 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
30 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
20,000 ft broken
Temperature
64 °F, dew point 43 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
SDM, 1 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.

Other investigations on N45165 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.