Cessna 152 N89174

Summary

On 30 March 1993 at about 04:10 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N89174, operated by Palo Alto Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Dunsmuir, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 March 1993 at 04:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Dunsmuir, California, United States

Coordinates

41.1905, -122.2602

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N89174

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Palo Alto Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ashland → Palo Alto

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX93FA165

1 person died.

AN INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH RAIN AND ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CONSISTING OF RAIN, ICING, AND DARKNESS, AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITIES TO DEAL WITH THE ENCOUNTERED WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING, THE COMMERCIAL/INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, DEPARTED ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE FORECASTED WEATHER CONDITIONS INCLUDED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 4,000 TO 6,000 FEET, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 8,000 FEET WITH A FREEZING LEVEL OF 7,000 FEET. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND UNTIL THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED 7 DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE. WITNESSES IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED CONTINUOUS RAIN ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LAST NTAP RADAR DATA OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED A DESCENT FROM 8,000 FEET TO 7,400 FEET BEFORE CONTACT WAS LOST. A METEOROLOGICAL STUDY OF THE ACCIDENT AREA REVEALED AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN WITH A FREEZING LEVEL OF 6,300 FEET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.