- Date
- May 5, 1992, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pinyon Pines, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N67545Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920505013519A
- Case key
- 27426
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 failure to maintain adequate altitude while maneuvering in mountainous terrain which resulted in getting trapped in a box canyon, resulting in a stall due to inadequate airspeed. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot's decision to fly into mountainous terrain at a low altitude, his impairment due to drugs, and the terrain conditions.
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 pilot was in the process of building time to enable him to take his commercial pilot's exam. He and a passenger flew into a canyon surrounded by rising terrain and mountains. The surviving passenger reported that they were flying 'too low' and he told the pilot '...let's get out of here.' The pilot said he was trying. The airplane collided with the terrain. The passenger reported that the airplane and its engine were operating 'fine.' He said that weather was no factor. The pilot's toxicological test was positive for 0.028 ug/ml tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marihuana) detected in the blood.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67545
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 152-081904
- Airframe hours
- 4,079
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-N2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bermuda Air Services Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bermuda Air Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 1992 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- UDD · Bermuda Dunes, 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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 216 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.