# NTSB SEA99LA058: Cessna 150G, N3381J, Detroit, OR, May 7, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 6, 1999, 19:14 local (May 7, 1999, 02:14 UTC) - Place: Detroit, OR - Coordinates: 44.739688, -121.88047 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.7397&lon=-121.8805&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 9, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 46289 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA99LA058 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46289/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA058 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, eventually resulting in a non-mechanical loss of engine power. Factors were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation; a snowstorm with icing conditions; the pilot becoming lost; and mountainous terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - snow (contributing factor) - vfr flight into imc - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - became lost/disoriented, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor) - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - emergency - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot, who was not instrument-rated, reported that he obtained his preflight weather information from The Weather Channel on television. He was subsequently unable to land at his destination due to high crosswind conditions associated with a cold frontal passage, and attempted to return to his departure airport. While en route back to the departure airport, the pilot encountered a snowstorm, entered instrument meteorological conditions, and became lost. He called for emergency assistance on several frequencies and was finally assisted in contacting ATC by another aircraft. However, before ATC could vector him to a suitable airport, the airplane iced up and eventually lost engine power (the pilot reported he thought he was out of fuel at this time, which was approximately 4 hours after the pilot's reported takeoff time.) A few seconds prior to the loss of power, the pilot had also turned carburetor heat off. The airplane subsequently crashed onto a mountainside. The airplane's emergency locator transmitter signal aided search and rescue forces in locating the downed aircraft, and the seriously injured pilot was rescued approximately 17 hours after the crash. ## Factual narrative On May 6, 1999, approximately 1914 Pacific daylight time, the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) lost radio contact with N3381J, a Cessna 150G airplane registered to Jack's Aircraft Services Inc. of Lebanon, Oregon. The commercial pilot-in-command and sole occupant of the aircraft (which according to the pilot's report departed Lebanon State Airport approximately 1515 for Estacada, Oregon, but was unable to land at Estacada due to high winds and subsequently attempted to return to Lebanon State) had declared an emergency with the Seattle ARTCC approximately 1830 using another aircraft as a radio relay, and contacted the Seattle ARTCC directly approximately 1902 requesting assistance. The pilot stated to Seattle ARTCC he had been flying in a snowstorm for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, did not know where he was, could not see anything on the ground, was low on fuel, and that he thought the aircraft may be iced up. Seattle ARTCC was attempting to guide the pilot into Davis Airport, Gates, Oregon, at the time contact with the aircraft was lost. Following the loss of contact with the aircraft, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received and localized to an area near the last radar position of the aircraft (at 1910 over the Detroit Lake reservoir near Detroit, Oregon), and a search for the aircraft was initiated. Search and rescue (SAR) forces located the seriously injured pilot with the substantially damaged aircraft wreckage approximately 1230 on May 7, 1999, and rescued the pilot. The accident site was on a mountainside at the 3,500-foot level approximately 5 miles south of Detroit. The pilot reported that instrument meteorological conditions (zero visibility in heavy snow with sky obscured) existed in the accident area. No flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight. The pilot, who was not instrument-rated, reported that prior to the accident flight, he obtained his weather information by watching the current and forecast weather on The Weather Channel on television. According to the pilot, the Weather Channel forecast was for "scattered showers turning to snow flurries in higher elevations early on 5/7/99." The pilot reported that he took off with full fuel. He gave the following account of the accident flight: ...I departed Lebanon Airport [at] 15:15...I arrived at Estacada but was unable to land because of severe crosswind conditions at Estacada.... I decided to return to Lebanon, [and] while enroute I encountered a heavy snowstorm, which forced me down into a heavily wooded canyon trying to maintain VFR. I made several circles in the canyon and finally lost VFR. I then tried flying up [through] the storm, but the aircraft would not climb above 4500 [feet]. I tried contacting Salem, Portland, and Seattle. After finally contacting Seattle, the aircraft lost power. I informed Seattle that I felt I was out of fuel, the left fuel gauge read empty [and] the right gauge read half full. I tried carb heat, no help[.] I then encountered a severe downdraft and crash landed.... According to ATC records of the accident, the Seattle ARTCC sector 6 radar (R-06) controller first observed an emergency squawk at 1802, over one hour prior to the disappearance. He attempted radio contact with the aircraft without success. At 1829, the air traffic control tower (ATCT) at Salem, Oregon, reported receiving a call on an emergency frequency from an aircraft reporting an emergency situation with another aircraft; however, neither Salem ATCT nor Seattle ARTCC were able to establish radio contact with the emergency aircraft. At 1831, Salem ATCT confirmed the call sign of the emergency aircraft as N3381J, and the R-06 controller advised seeing N3381J on radar near the Davis Airport. At 1835, the R-06 controller reported to Salem that N3381J appeared to be heading toward the mountains. Salem ATCT subsequently reported, at 1838, that N3381J was transmitting on frequency 122.8 megahertz (MHz) but was not receiving transmissions. The R-06 controller then solicited the help of a commercial airline flight in the area, Horizon Airlines flight 224, in an attempt to contact N3381J. A controller change occurred at the R-06 position at 1841. At this time, Horizon 224 reported hearing the aircraft but stated that the aircraft would not respond to his calls, and that the communications sounded strange. At 1843, Horizon 224 reported again that they could still hear the aircraft but that they got no response. At 1845, the pilot of another aircraft, N911DR, contacted Seattle ARTCC and advised of being in contact with N3381J, and that N3381J was trying to call Seattle ARTCC on frequency 125.8 MHz. N911DR subsequently reported, at 1846, that he had lost radio contact with N3381J while trying to have the aircraft contact Seattle ARTCC. A third aircraft, N26533, attempted to contact N3381J at 1847, but reported to Seattle ARTCC that neither aircraft were able to contact him. At 1849, Seattle ARTCC lost radar contact with N3381J. At 1850, Seattle ARTCC asked a fourth aircraft, N311LA, to attempt contact with N3381J. At 1851, N26533 advised that N3381J was going to come up on Seattle ARTCC frequency 125.8. A second commercial airline flight, Skywest 6966, also reported at this time that they were hearing repeated calls on 122.8 MHz but were unable to establish two-way communications with the aircraft. At 1853, N311LA reported that he had been unable to contact N3381J, but N26533 advised that two-way communication had been established with N3381J, and that the aircraft had been advised to climb for better radio reception. At 1854, Skywest 6966 advised that a Southwest Airlines flight was in contact with N3381J, but that he did not have the Southwest flight's flight number. At 1855, the R-06 controller reported to Salem ATCT that the aircraft appeared to be heading toward the mountains. Skywest 6966 then advised that he had not obtained a flight number from the Southwest flight, but that N3381J was near Mount Jefferson at 6,000 feet, in a snowstorm, heading 290 degrees and trying to climb. Two minutes later, at 1857, Skywest 6966 advised that N3381J was going to squawk code 7700, and at 1858, the R-06 controller observed a 7700 squawk. At 0159, N26533 advised that N3381J was in a slow climb, low on fuel, and asked if N3381J was high enough to attempt a frequency change to ARTCC frequency. N26533 also confirmed that N911DR was the aircraft in direct communication with N3381J. Three minutes later, at 1902, N26533 advised Seattle ARTCC that a frequency change would be attempted, and relayed that N3381J had one person on board and that there was about 30 minutes of fuel remaining. N911DR then contacted Seattle ARTCC and reported that N3381J was on Seattle ARTCC frequency and that he was acting as a relay for the emergency aircraft. Seattle ARTCC then established radio and radar contact with N3381J and advised its pilot of the two closest airports, Davis (15 miles ahead of the aircraft) and Salem ("about another twenty miles out"). The pilot of N3381J reported he was lost at an altitude of 6,700 feet. The Seattle ARTCC controller instructed him to maintain VFR and fly a heading of 295 degrees for a vector towards Salem. At 1905, the pilot of N3381J reported he was losing altitude, was barely able to make 70 MPH airspeed, that he was in a snowstorm and that he was icing up. The controller asked the pilot whether he could see the ground, and the pilot replied that he could not. The controller then assigned the pilot a heading of 250 degrees for the Davis Airport. At 1908, the pilot asked the R-06 controller if he was in an area where he could get a lower altitude. The controller replied that he was not (the minimum IFR altitude in the area was 8,000 feet), but subsequently told him (at 1909) that in three or four minutes he would be in an area where a lower altitude could be assigned ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3381J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3381J-2012-09-05), registration cancelled 2012-09-05, S/N 15066081, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150G - Registry model: [Cessna 150G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150g) (registry code 2071816) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15066081 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Jack'S Aircraft Services Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Departed: S30, LEBANON, OR - Destination: 6S4, GATES, OR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 240 total, 60 in this make and model, 4 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Dusk - Temperature: 34 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19990506020409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990506020409A), May 6, 1999: Cessna 150G, Detroit, OR, Substantial damage. On may 6, 1999, approximately 1914 pacific daylight time, the seattle air route traffic control center (ARTCC) lost radio contact with N3381J, a Cessna 150G… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.