Cessna 150H accident near Sumpter, Oregon, April 27, 1991
On April 27, 1991, a Cessna 150H, registered N970MA, was destroyed in an accident near Sumpter, Oregon. 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 IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISIONS AND THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1991
- Place
- Sumpter, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N970MA · no longer on the register · serial 15067550
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 150 DEPARTED LA GRANDE OREGON WITHOUT OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. WEATHER AT HIS DEPARTURE POINT WAS VFR. WEATHER AT HIS DESTINATION WAS OBSCURED WITH NO DISCERNABLE CEILING. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR THE BOTTOM OF A RIVER DRAINAGE. THE ENGINE FIRED ON RESIDUAL FUEL WHILE INVESTIGATORS WERE CHECKING COMPRESSION.
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: 300 hours in all; 275 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- 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: LGD La Grande OR at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 5J0 John Day OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:45 pm from 5J0, 30 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.