Cessna 150J accident near Pinyon, California, January 19, 1992
On January 19, 1992 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50810, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pinyon, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING TO ENTER A MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AND HIS IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT RELATED TO THE INSTRUCTOR'S LOWERING OF THE WING FLAPS DURING A TIME WHEN A DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE TERRAIN WAS RISING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1992 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pinyon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50810 · no longer on the register · serial 15069566
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DUAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) FLEW INTO AN AREA OF RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE CFI PLANNED TO INSTRUCT HIS STUDENT IN MOUNTAIN FLYING TECHNIQUES. THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT AND THEN A DOWNDRAFT. THE CFI LOWERED THE WING FLAPS TO THE 10 DEGREE POSITION IN A BELIEF THAT SUCH ACTION WOULD ENHANCE THE AIRPLANE'S RATE OF CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE'S CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS NOT ENHANCED AND REMAINED INADEQUATE TO OUT CLIMB THE RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND THE SIDE OF A HILL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 415 as pilot in command; 103 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,826 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 20, 1991; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Professionals
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 99 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.