Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150 - F near Santa Clara, UT — 2014-05-07

Final reportWPR14FA183
Sign in to save
Date
2014-05-07
Location
Santa Clara, UT, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 150 - F
Registration
N8236F
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s failure to arrest the airplane’s descent and maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.

NTSB narrative

A witness reported that he observed the airplane at an altitude of between 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level about 2 miles from his location. About the same time, he also heard the airplane's engine sputter, and he then observed the airplane in a vertical, nose-down attitude for 3 to 4 seconds before it went out of sight behind a hill. The wreckage was found about 2 hours later in remote mountainous, rocky terrain. An on-site examination of the airframe and engine revealed that the airplane impacted the terrain upright in a flat orientation on a 27-degree downslope. Based on observed impact signatures, the airplane's forward momentum was negligible just before it impacted terrain. All of the components necessary for flight were accounted for at the accident site. Additionally, examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the witness's observations and the physical evidence observed at the accident site, it is likely that the airplane was in a steep descent at a low altitude and that the flight instructor failed to pull the airplane up and out of the nose-down attitude at a sufficient altitude to preclude impact with terrain.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Instructor could have aborted the flight due to low experience of student pilot.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 15 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents15

Related mishaps