Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Goble, Ore. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: A CFI and pilot receiving instruction were on a flight in an area of light rain, fog, and overcast ceilings. The airplane entered a hilly area during a steady rain.
There were low ceilings and dense ground fog that extended to above tree height. The airplane crashed into trees.
Investigators determined that it was likely hard to see the trees because of the reduced visibility.
Probable cause: The CFI’s decision to continue flight into an area of reduced visibility and the pilots’ subsequent failure to maintain clearance from the hilly terrain while operating in an area of low ceilings, rain, and fog.
NTSB Identification: WPR12FA136
This March 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
This is almost unbelievable. Why in the world would an instructor take a student up in weather like that unless they were conducting IFR training. The student should be tought to stay away from such poor/marginal weather not taken up and given a false sense of security because they got away with it. This really calls into question the overall qualification process for the CFI rating if such poor judgement can slip through. Maybe we hand out those tickets too easily. These pages have had quite a few examples of crashes with instructors on board and that should happen only in the most extreme circumstances, not this often.
I agree with Bluestar.
Our requirements are 30 day currency for customer pilots and instructors and a BFR every 12 months.
Same terms for aircraft on lease for aircraft owners
In this case the pilot was the CFI, I would question his qualifications as a pilot let alone an instructor. There is no excuse for such poor judgment and decision making from a CFI who’s student relies on his experience and knowledge to teach him and keep him safe.