Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed. Factors in the accident were the pilot's lack of experience with flying in mountainous terrain and the high density altitude.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The aircraft collided with terrain while the pilot was maneuvering at low altitude near mountains. The pilot stated that he noticed his altitude was dropping so he increased power to full and increased his climb rate. He said the next thing he heard was the stall warning horn. He said the aircraft again began to drop and the left wing went down suddenly. He noted the airspeed at that moment, just before impact, was approximately 40 kias. The pilot later reported that the accident could have been prevented if he was more familiar with mountain flying and density altitude.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 25, 1995, approximately 2100 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 152, N588BR, impacted the terrain while maneuvering near Wellsville, Utah. The private pilot received minor injuries, his passenger was not injured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The local personal pleasure flight, which departed Logan-Cache Airport about 30 minutes earlier, was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and the ELT, which was activated by the impact, was turned off at the scene. According to the pilot, he and his passenger were looking at property when he noticed that the aircraft was sinking and the airspeed was low. He applied full power, but was unable to keep the aircraft from colliding with the terrain. The pilot said that a combination of high density altitude and an undetected downdraft created a situation from which he could not recover. In a written statement in an NTSB 6120.1/2 form, he noted that the accident could have been prevented if he was more familiar with mountain flying and density altitude. -