Morrisey 2150A accident near Mt. Baldy, California, January 16, 1987
On January 16, 1987 at about 8:00 am local time, a Morrisey 2150A, registered N5138V, was destroyed in an accident near Mt. Baldy, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1987 · about 8:00 am local time
- Place
- Mt. Baldy, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Morrisey 2150A · all 2150As on the register
- Registration
- N5138V · registry record · serial SP-34
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL FLT, THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN CIRCLING OVER A RIDGE FOUR TIMES. ON THE FIFTH PASS, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED NORTHBOUND INTO THE CLOUDS. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME THE MT TOPS WERE COVERED WITH FOG AND THAT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXISTED. DURING THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL 300 TO 400 YARDS BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE FAR SIDE OF A DEEP RAVINE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST ANY PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,817 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EMT El Monte CA at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 360° at 40 knots, gusting 50
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX87FA096.