Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pine Valley, California 92062
Saturday, March 10, 1990 14:50 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

NO RECORD WAS FOUND TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT THE STUDENT HAD EVER BEEN GIVEN ANY DUAL INSTRUCTION. HIS CERTIFICATE WAS NOT ENDORSED FOR SOLO OR SOLO CROSS COUNTRY PRIVILEGES. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT THE PILOT OBTAINED ANY PREFLIGHT WEATHER INFORMATION FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A RANGE OF COASTAL MOUNTAINS SEPARATES THE DEPARTURE AND DESTINATION AIRPORTS, AND A MAJOR INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TRAVERSES THE RANGE IN A SYSTEM OF VALLEYS. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY NEAR THE CREST OF A MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 4,200 FT MSL. EXAMINATION OF THE SITE REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHILE ROTATING TO THE RIGHT. SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER PILOTS RETURNING FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE FLEW NEAR THE LOCATION ABOUT ONE HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS WERE OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AND SNOW SHOWERS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE DECISION OF THE PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. FACTORS WERE: OBSCURATION, LOW CEILING, AND OVER-CONFIDENCE IN ABILITY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/10/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1450
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City PINE VALLEY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92062
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 3
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1575
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 11 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1610
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42846
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N152EZ
NTSB Number LAX90FA112
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150J
Aircraft Series Identifier 150J
Aircraft Serial Number 15070726
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DELOY R. E. KOOPS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1973 N. MARSHALL
Aircraft Owner City EL CAJON
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92020
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 No
Departure Airport Code YUM
Departure City YUMA
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1436
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SEE
Destination City EL CAJON
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --