# Accident 19980501008279A: Cessna 150M, Levelland, TX, May 1, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 1, 1998, 14:30 local time
- Place: Levelland, TX
- Airport: Levelland Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.5706° N, 102.3600° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5706&lon=-102.3600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N459U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N459U-1998-09-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150M (registry code 2071830, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150M
- Reported engine: CONT O200A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 152 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA202) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980501008279A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT WAS CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT, STRUCK GROUND, LANDING GEAR TORE OFF, FLIPPED OVER, LEVELLAND, TX. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO OUT CLIMB, WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 17 TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE CFI REPORTED THAT AFTER TURNING CROSSWIND, WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL OPERATING AT FULL TAKEOFF POWER, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A RATE OF DESCENT THAT EXCEEDED 1,000 FEET PER MINUTE. THE CFI TURNED THE AIRPLANE AWAY FROM HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AS HE MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TOWARDS A PLOWED FIELD TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE CFI REDUCED POWER BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LANDING ATTITUDE WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT VIRGA AND DUST DEVILS WERE OBSERVED IN ALL QUADRANTS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN FAA INSPECTOR ALSO OBSERVED SIGNS OF DOWNDRAFTS AND VIRGA WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, THE OPERATOR EXP                                                   ERIENCED 'STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS DUE TO THE HIGHLY UNSTABLE WEATHER PATTERN.' THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCUALTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE TO BE 5,600 FEET.                                                             (-23) NO NARRATIVE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA202), May 1, 1998: Cessna 150M (N459U), Levelland, TX, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's inaccurate weather evaluation, subsequent encounter with a severe downdraft, and failure (or inability) to compensate for the wind (downdraft) condition. The high density altitude was a…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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