Cessna 150J accident near Pine Valley, California, March 10, 1990
On March 10, 1990 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N152EZ, was destroyed in an accident near Pine Valley, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1990 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Valley, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N152EZ · registry record · serial 15070726
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: student
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YUM Yuma AZ at 9:36 pm
- Destination: SEE El Cajon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.