Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Truckee, California 95734
Saturday, December 25, 1993 13:50 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH A PASSENGER ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE CESSNA 150 APPROACHING A SUMMIT, WHILE FLYING LOW & SLOW IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP NEAR SOME POWER LINES & DESCENDED INTO TREES. TWO OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE & HEARD THE ENGINE, WHICH THEY INDICATED WAS AT A HIGH POWER SETTING. THEY STATED THE AIRPLANE BARELY MISSED SOME TREES, & AFTER CLEARING SOME POWER LINES, IT HIT A TALL FIR TREE. ELEVATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 7300' MSL. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED 0.015 UG/ML OF MORPHINE, 0.018 UG/ML OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE, 0.020 UG/ML OF DOXYLAMINE. TESTS OF HIS URINE SHOWED 0.171 UG/ML OF MORPHINE & DETECTABLE LEVELS OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE & DOXYLAMINE. ALSO, THE PILOT TESTED POSITIVE FOR PSEUDOEPHEDRINE & IBUPROFEN. A FAMILY MEMBER STATED THE PILOT HAD RECOVERED FROM A RECENT FLU-LIKE ILLNESS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRED JUDGMENT AND IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE, WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, THAT RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS (POWER LINE & TREES).

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/25/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1350
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City TRUCKEE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95734
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1345 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 290
Weather Observation Facility ID TRK
Elevation of weather observation facility 5900
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Overcast
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7300
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1997
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 25 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1455
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:48PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4813X
NTSB Number LAX94LA080
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150G
Aircraft Series Identifier 150G
Aircraft Serial Number 15064863
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 1 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name METCALFE, JENNIFER & BRIAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 13595 NEW AIRPORT RD.
Aircraft Owner City AUBURN
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95603
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name METCALFE, JENNIFER & BRIAN
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 13595 NEW AIRPORT RD.
Operator City AUBURN
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95603
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code TRK
Departure City
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code TRK
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --