- Date
- September 16, 1990, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Park City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4183UCessna 150D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900916039779A
- Case key
- 41279
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 lack of understanding of aircraft performance and meteorological conditions when flying at high density altitude in close proximity to mountainous terrain.
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 student pilot encountered strong updrafts and downdrafts when crossing a ridge at high altitude in the vicinity of his family's cabin. Due to high density altitude and lack of climb performance of the Cessna 150D at such altitudes, he was unable to sustain altitude, and crashed at approximately 9000 feet MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4183U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15060183
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- High Valley Aviation
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- 36U · Heber City, UT
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.