Cessna 150H N50385

Summary

On 23 April 1998 at about 17:10 local time, a Cessna 150H registered N50385 was involved in an accident near Parowan, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 April 1998 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Parowan, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Parowan Airport (1L9)

Coordinates

37.9093, -112.8502

Aircraft

Cessna 150H

Registration

N50385

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Chino

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98FA190

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. Factors were the high density altitude, the high, gusty wind condition, and the diverted attention of the pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane (powered by a 100 horse power engine) was departing from runway 22 (elevation 5,930 feet, density altitude 7,944 feet) and one witness said that it 'appeared to be flying very slow with its nose high.' Another witness reported that 'the engine was putting out everything it had at full RPM and it was smooth.' The flight instructor was seen waving to the people standing in front of the hangar. The above second witness further described the airplane as 'wobbling, struggling and mushing, and then it spun to the ground.' For approximately the last 3 years, the flight instructor had been towing banners in California with a Cessna 150 powered by 180 horse powered engine and modified with a STOL kit. A witness reported that the wind, at the time of the accident, was out of the south 20 to 25 knots gusting 30 to 35 knots. Several other witnesses reported that at the time of the airplane's departure, 'the wind was blowing loose dirt parallel to the ground.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.