OpenAirDocs.org

19960725019779A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 150L · Philippi, WV · July 25, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 25, 1996 · 19:48 local
Place
Philippi, WV
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N21953
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD96LA122
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
N21953Registration cancelled May 8, 1998 · Cessna 150LS/N 15074564Airframe modelCessna 150L

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.

Aircraft crashed in a field. (.4) a witness stated that she saw the pilot taxi up, get out of the airplane, and asked for fuel. She stated that she thought she had noted a smell of alcohol on his breath, but was not sure. As the pilot was leaving, the witness told the pilot that the nose tire looked as if it was flat, but the pilot appeared to ignored her. Also, another witness at the airport wondered if the pilot had been drinking. One of the witnesses stated that on takeoff, the nose of the airplane seemed excessively high. Both witnesses thought the airplane was going to stall. Minutes later, witnesses saw the airplane flying low over the pilot's son's house. After making one pass and returning, witnesses stated that they saw the airplane impact the top of a tree, fly out of sight, and then heard the sound of an impact. The son arrived on scene, removed the pilot from the wreckage, and attempted cpr, but to no avail. Toxicology tests showed the pilot's blood and urine had alcohol levels of 123 mg/dl and 206 mg/dl, respectively.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD. (.4) A WITNESS STATED THAT SHE SAW THE PILOT TAXI UP, GET OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, AND ASKED FOR FUEL. SHE STATED THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD NOTED A SMELL OF ALCOHOL ON HIS BREATH, BUT WAS NOT SURE. AS THE PILOT WAS LEAVING, THE WITNESS TOLD THE PILOT THAT THE NOSE TIRE LOOKED AS IF IT WAS FLAT, BUT THE PILOT APPEARED TO IGNORED HER. ALSO, ANOTHER WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT WONDERED IF THE PILOT HAD BEEN DRINKING. ONE OF THE WITNESSES STATED THAT ON TAKEOFF, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SEEMED EXCESSIVELY HIGH. BOTH WITNESSES THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO STALL. MINUTES LATER, WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE FLYING LOW OVER THE PILOT'S SON'S HOUSE. AFTER MAKING ONE PASS AND RETURNING, WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE IMPACT THE TOP OF A TREE, FLY OUT OF SIGHT, AND THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF AN IMPACT. THE SON ARRIVED ON SCENE, REMOVED THE PILOT FROM THE WRECKAGE, AND ATTEMPTED CPR, BUT TO NO AVAIL. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THE PILOT'S BLOOD AND URINE HAD ALCOHOL LEVELS OF 123 MG/DL AND 206 MG/DL, RESPECTIVELY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD96LA122Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportPhilippi, WVthe pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol, his resultant improper planning/decision, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from trees, while maneuvering at low altitude. Intentional maneuvering at low altitude was a…Jul 25, 1996 · Destroyed