# Accident 19980521019789A: Cessna 150G, Griffith, IN, May 21, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 21, 1998, 12:40 local time - Place: Griffith, IN - Airport: Griffith Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.5203° N, 87.4199° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5203&lon=-87.4199&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2916J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2916J-2001-03-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150G (registry code 2071816, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150g) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150G - Reported engine: LYC O320E2C - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA158) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980521019789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4)ON MAY 21, 1998, AT 1240 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150, N2916J, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 08 (4013'X 50', DRY, ASPHALT) AT THE GRIFFITH-MERRILLVILLE AIRPORT, NEAR GRIFFITH, INDIANA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS ON THE INITIAL CLIMB WITH THE INTENTIONS OF CIRCLING THE AIRPORT TO RETRIEVE A BANNER ON THE NEXT PASS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 BANNER TOW FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT WAS TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 08 WITH 20-DEGREES OF FLAPS AND WHEN HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100' ABOVE THE RUNWAY HE RELEASED THE BANNER HOOK OUT THE PILOT'S WINDOW.THEPILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER HE DROPPED THE HOOK THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SINK WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEFT TURN. THE PILOT STATED THAT, "THE NOSECAME DOWN AND THE PLANE WOULD NOT FLY LEVEL." IN AN ORAL STATEMENT TO THE GRIFFITH POLICE, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS, "MUSHING, AND WOULD NOT FLY." THE PILOT STATED IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND NOSE FIRST, FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC), A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT UTILIZE ALL OF THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY FOR THE TAKEOFF AND WAS "SURPRISED" WITH HOW LITTLE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT USED TO BECOME AIRBORNE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT PITCH-UP BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE HOOK HAD FREELY FALLEN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF THE HOOK CONTACTING THE GROUND OR SURROUNDING TERRAIN. (-23) ON MAY 21, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1240 CDT, A CESSNA 150 PILOTED BY MR. SARKIS BOYAJIAN DEPARTED RUNWAY 8 FROM GRIFFITH, IN (05C). MR BOYAJIAN IS A BANNER TOWER IN THE LOCAL AREA AND WAS DEPARTING TO TOW A BANNER. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE CESSNA VEERED OFF TOWARD THE NORTH CONTACTING THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET OFF TO THE NORTH SIDE OF RUNWAY 8. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN AND RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. TWO TOW CABLES WERE OBSERVED OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FELT LIKE THE ELEVATOR BECAME JAMMED AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO CABLES GETTING TANGLED UP IN THE ELEVATOR. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD APPEARED TO STALL. THE PILOT WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED NO INJURIES. ## 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 CHI98LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA158), May 21, 1998: Cessna 150 (N2916J), Griffith, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The aircraft's speed not maintained by the pilot, which resulted in the aircraft stalling in close proximity to the ground. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.