At 17:22 Pacific time, a Cessna 150L crashed while maneuvering near Laton, killing both occupants. Witnesses said the pilot frequently flew over their home at low altitude. He would orbit and converse with them. On this occasion, the airplane was orbiting at about 300 feet when the pilot opened his side window and said, Hello. One of the ground witnesses invited him to come visit after his flight and he responded, We will. The airplane continued the left turn, momentarily leveled out, then banked left and began to turn left again. The bank angle continued to rapidly increase until the witnesses could see the tops of the wings. The nose dropped and the airplane crashed.
Aug. 29, Laton, Calif. / Cessna 150
At 17:22 Pacific time, a Cessna 150L crashed while maneuvering near Laton, killing both occupants. Witnesses said the pilot frequently flew over their home at low altitude. He would orbit and converse with them. On this occasion, the airplane was orbiting at about 300 feet when the pilot opened his side window and said, Hello. One of the ground witnesses invited him to come visit after his flight and he responded, We will. The airplane continued the left turn, momentarily leveled out, then banked left and began to turn left again. The bank angle continued to rapidly increase until the witnesses could see the tops of the wings. The nose dropped and the airplane crashed....
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 150L crashed near Laton, California, killing both occupants, following a low-altitude maneuvering flight.
- Witnesses observed the pilot, who frequently flew low and conversed with them, interacting from about 300 feet before the aircraft rapidly increased its left bank angle, dropped its nose, and crashed.
- The accident occurred shortly after the pilot spoke to ground witnesses from an open window, with the plane losing control during a subsequent left turn.
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