- Date
- January 19, 1992, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pinyon, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N50810Cessna 150J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920119000759A
- Case key
- 27538
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 flight instructor's inadequate in-flight planning to enter a mountainous area at a low altitude, and his improper handling of the airplane. Factors which contributed to the accident related to the instructor's lowering of the wing flaps during a time when a downdraft was encountered and the terrain was rising.
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
During a dual cross country flight the flight instructor (CFI) flew into an area of rising mountainous terrain. The CFI planned to instruct his student in mountain flying techniques. The airplane encountered an updraft and then a downdraft. The CFI lowered the wing flaps to the 10 degree position in a belief that such action would enhance the airplane's rate of climb. The airplane's climb performance was not enhanced and remained inadequate to out climb the rising terrain. The airplane collided with a tree and the side of a hill.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50810
- Reported as
- Cessna 150J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069566
- Airframe hours
- 2,826
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Professionals
- Registered owner
- Richard Egan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 20, 1991 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Destination
- CRQ · Carlsbad, 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
- 20
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 485 total · 50 in this make and model · 415 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 99 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.