Cessna 150G accident near Gorman, California, April 22, 1999
On April 22, 1999 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3403J, was destroyed in an accident near Gorman, 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 pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather conditions beneath a low ceiling in mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1999 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gorman, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3403J · no longer on the register · serial 15066103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident site is in a mountain valley between the departure and destination airports. A ground witness observed the aircraft flying about 400 feet above ground level, in and out of the cloud bases beneath an overcast ceiling, up the valley toward higher terrain. A resident who lives directly above the accident site reported that the mountainside where the aircraft wreckage was later located was obscured in clouds at the time of the accident. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were found during examination of the wreckage.
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: 433 hours in all; 424 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 365 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,138 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1998; 184 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: BFL Bakersfield CA at 6:36 pm
- Destination: CCB Upland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:22 pm from SDB, 9 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.