19960220022439I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 150L · Benton, AR · February 20, 1996

Date: February 20, 1996 · 22:00 local
Place: Benton, AR
Airport: Saline County Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6762G
Reported as: Cessna 150L
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 250 total124 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N6762GRegistration cancelled May 15, 2006 · Cessna 150LS/N 15072262 · Built 1970 Airframe modelCessna 150L Engine modelContinental 0-200 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: Mr. Richardson stated that it had been several months since he was night current. He went to the Benton airport to practice and get night current. During the first approach to landing, the instrument panel lights flickered and went out. He reached down to get his flashlight and in the process, the microphone fell on the floor. In the time it took to recover the flashlight and microphone, he realized he had gotten low on his approach. He then added power to arrest his descent, and everything appeared normal until he felt something hit what felt like the landing gear. He then added climb power to go around and returned for a normal landing. Post landing inspection showed minor wing skin, landing gear, strut fairing and horizontal stabilizer skin damage. Mr. Richardson has since received dual instruction from a designated pilot examiner in the precautions and procedures of night flying.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: MR. RICHARDSON STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE HE WAS NIGHT CURRENT. HE WENT TO THE BENTON AIRPORT TO PRACTICE AND GET NIGHT CURRENT. DURING THE FIRST APPROACH TO LANDING, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLICKERED AND WENT OUT. HE REACHED DOWN TO GET HIS FLASHLIGHT AND IN THE PROCESS, THE MICROPHONE FELL ON THE FLOOR. IN THE TIME IT TOOK TO RECOVER THE FLASHLIGHT AND MICROPHONE, HE REALIZED HE HAD GOTTEN LOW ON HIS APPROACH. HE THEN ADDED POWER TO ARREST HIS DESCENT, AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL HE FELT SOMETHING HIT WHAT FELT LIKE THE LANDING GEAR. HE THEN ADDED CLIMB POWER TO GO AROUND AND RETURNED FOR A NORMAL LANDING. POST LANDING INSPECTION SHOWED MINOR WING SKIN, LANDING GEAR, STRUT FAIRING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SKIN DAMAGE. MR. RICHARDSON HAS SINCE RECEIVED DUAL INSTRUCTION FROM A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER IN THE PRECAUTIONS AND PROCEDURES OF NIGHT FLYING.