Cessna 150J accident near Mariposa, California, February 6, 1999
On February 6, 1999 at about 4:16 am local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N50878, was destroyed in an accident near Mariposa, California (Mariposa-Yosemite airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's premature descent into terrain during a dark nighttime approach. Also causal was his physiological impairment due to alcohol. A contributing factor was his psychological condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1999 · about 4:16 am local time
- Place
- Mariposa, California · Mariposa-Yosemite · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N50878 · no longer on the register · serial 15069617
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a dark night landing approach, the aircraft collided with trees and terrain while on base leg for runway 26. Following a telephone conversation between the pilot and his wife, during which he indicated that he was emotionally upset, the pilot took off with the intention of flying 26 miles to his home-base airport. The uncontrolled airport's rotating beacon, runway lights, and visual approach slope indicator system (VASI) were functional. As the pilot approached the airport he made several radio transmissions during which he indicated his landing intentions. The airplane prematurely descended. On the traffic pattern's base leg, about 0.5 miles from the approach end of the runway, the airplane collided with trees and terrain. The distance between the initial point of impact and the main wreckage was 222 feet. The airframe and engine were subsequently examined. No malfunctions were noted. Remains of a recently purchased vodka bottle were found in the wreckage. The toxicological examination revealed the presence of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Ethanol was detected in the pilot's blood, vitreous fluid, and urine. The blood level was reported at 0.246 percent, over 6 times the FAA limit.
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: 210 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 163 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,326 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1998; 37 hours since
- 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: MER Atwater CA at 3:45 am
- Destination: O68 CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,310 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from MCE, 31 miles away
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.