Cessna 150L N7471G accident near Lyman, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s delayed decision to exit the valley with rising terrain and failure to maintain clearance from trees.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the airplane reported that, while en route he mistakenly turned into the wrong valley with rising terrain. The pilot stated that he waited too long before he made a turn to exit the valley. During the turn, the airplane struck trees, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22LA360 for the full record.