Cessna 150J N50878

Summary

On 6 February 1999 at about 04:16 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N50878, operated by John E. Newman, was involved in an accident near Mariposa, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 February 1999 at 04:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Mariposa, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mariposa-Yosemite (O68)

Coordinates

37.4892, -120.0007

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N50878

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John E. Newman

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atwater → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX99FA091

1 person died.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.