# Accident 19980531011759A: Cessna 150L, Houston, TX, May 31, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 31, 1998, 17:00 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: Clover Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.5496° N, 95.2698° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5496&lon=-95.2698&mi=10
- Aircraft: N19271, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N19271) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150L (registry code 2071826, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150L
- Reported engine: CONT O200A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 130 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA255) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980531011759A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE 400 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT MISTOOK THE FRESHLY MOWED AREA TO THE EAST OF THE RUNWAY 14L FOR THE APPROVED LANDING AREA KNOWN AS 'SOD RUNWAY 14L.' DURING THE TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A SHALLOW DEPRESSION RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO HIS PATH AND THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED UP IN THE AIR.  ON THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A DRAINAGE DITCH WHICH COLLAPSED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR.  ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE CONFINES OF THE 2,800 FOOT SOD RUNWAY WERE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE DUE TO THE LACK OF USAGE.  HE ADDED THAT THE GRASS WAS ALL THE SAME TONE OF GREEN AS MOST OF THE SURROUDING AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THE WORN OUT AREAS NORMALLY FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE,  AS WELL AS ALONG THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, WERE MISSING.  THOSE VISUAL CUES NORMALLY HELP THE PILOT DEFINE THE CONFINES OF THE RUNWAY.  THE PILOT'S FAMILIARITY WITH SOD RUNWY 14L AND THE AIRPORT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.                             (-23) LOW TIME PRIVATE PILOT LINED UP ON WHAT HE THOUGHT TO BE THE SOD RUNWAY 14L AT CLOVER FIELD, TX. HE MISTOOK THE MEDIAN BETWEEN THE SOD RUNWAY AND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY AS THE RUNWAY. ON LANDING ROLLOUT HE CROSSED TWO SHA LLOW DEPRESSIONS, THE SECOND OF WHICH COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. PROP STRUCK GROUND AND AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO ENGINE MOUNTS AND FIREWALL CLASSIFIED LANDING AS ACCIDENT.

## 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 FTW98LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA255), May 31, 1998: Cessna 150L (N19271), Pearland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of the wrong runway/landing area. A factor was the lack of visual runway cues available to the pilot.

## Other reports on N19271 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19860301004319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860301004319A), Mar 1, 1986: Cessna 150L (N19271), Houston, TX. CFI got out of aircraft after a start attempt. Mags in on position. Moved propeller,engine fired,blade struck CFI.

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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