PINYON, CA, USA
N50810
CESSNA 150J
DURING A DUAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) FLEW INTO AN AREA OF RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE CFI PLANNED TO INSTRUCT HIS STUDENT IN MOUNTAIN FLYING TECHNIQUES. THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT AND THEN A DOWNDRAFT. THE CFI LOWERED THE WING FLAPS TO THE 10 DEGREE POSITION IN A BELIEF THAT SUCH ACTION WOULD ENHANCE THE AIRPLANE'S RATE OF CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE'S CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS NOT ENHANCED AND REMAINED INADEQUATE TO OUT CLIMB THE RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND THE SIDE OF A HILL.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING TO ENTER A MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AND HIS IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT RELATED TO THE INSTRUCTOR'S LOWERING OF THE WING FLAPS DURING A TIME WHEN A DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE TERRAIN WAS RISING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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