- Date
- September 25, 2022, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lyman, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7471GCessna 150L
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220925016089A
- Case key
- 106016
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 delayed decision to exit the valley with rising terrain and failure to maintain clearance from trees.
Findings · 6
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the airplane reported that, while en route he mistakenly turned into the wrong valley with rising terrain. The pilot stated that he waited too long before he made a turn to exit the valley. During the turn, the airplane struck trees, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7471G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15074664
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 6,530
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 2022 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 3W5 · Concrete, WA
- Destination
- WA4 · Snohomish, WA
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,811 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,811 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KAWO, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KAWO 252056Z AUTO 32005KT 10SM CLR 24/13 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP206 T02390128 58022
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 13, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 32.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.