Cessna 150J N50810

Summary

On 19 January 1992 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N50810, operated by Aviation Professionals, was involved in an accident near Pinyon, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 1992 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pinyon, California, United States

Coordinates

33.6306, -116.5901

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N50810

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aviation Professionals

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Carlsbad

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA095

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.