Cessna 150G accident near Truckee, California, December 25, 1993
On December 25, 1993 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N4813X, was destroyed in an accident near Truckee, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPAIRED JUDGMENT AND IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE, WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, THAT RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS (POWER LINE & TREES).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1993 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Truckee, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N4813X · no longer on the register · serial 15064863
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH A PASSENGER ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE CESSNA 150 APPROACHING A SUMMIT, WHILE FLYING LOW & SLOW IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP NEAR SOME POWER LINES & DESCENDED INTO TREES. TWO OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE & HEARD THE ENGINE, WHICH THEY INDICATED WAS AT A HIGH POWER SETTING. THEY STATED THE AIRPLANE BARELY MISSED SOME TREES, & AFTER CLEARING SOME POWER LINES, IT HIT A TALL FIR TREE. ELEVATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 7300' MSL. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED 0.015 UG/ML OF MORPHINE, 0.018 UG/ML OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE, 0.020 UG/ML OF DOXYLAMINE. TESTS OF HIS URINE SHOWED 0.171 UG/ML OF MORPHINE & DETECTABLE LEVELS OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE & DOXYLAMINE. ALSO, THE PILOT TESTED POSITIVE FOR PSEUDOEPHEDRINE & IBUPROFEN. A FAMILY MEMBER STATED THE PILOT HAD RECOVERED FROM A RECENT FLU-LIKE ILLNESS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 56 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TRK CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: TRK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from TRK, 6 miles away
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.
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.