Cessna 150E N6196T

Summary

On 13 July 2000 at about 02:40 local time, a Cessna 150E registered N6196T was involved in an accident near Ashton, Idaho, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 July 2000 at 02:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Ashton, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.9793, -111.7900

Aircraft

Cessna 150E

Registration

N6196T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Anthony → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA00FA133

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree while making a low pass over an outdoor gathering of individuals. Factors include the intentional low pass, a tree located in a shadow generated by the sun's low position at dusk, hilly terrain, and the 'pilot's' visual deficiency.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The unlicensed 'pilot' of the Cessna 150 made a low pass over an open-air assembly of campers in order to drop a message to a family member who was part of the group below. Because the sun was in the process of setting, the tops of hills around the camp were illuminated with a golden glow. But the valley in which the camp was situated, including a coniferous tree located about 280 feet south of the camp, was sitting in the shadow created by a ridge to the west. Just after the note was dropped over the camp, the inboard portion of the aircraft's left wing collided with the top ten feet of the tree. The aircraft then spun/cartwheeled through the air for another 88 feet before impacting the surface of the gravel road. Upon impacting the road, the aircraft burst into flames and slid another 122 feet. During the 'pilot's' FAA physical in 1995, it was determined that he was blind in his left eye.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.