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19980715023609A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150E · Panama City Bea, FL · July 15, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 15, 1998 · 11:55 local
Place
Panama City Bea, FL
Airport
Buchanan Stol
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3549J
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA98FA196
Reported as
Cessna 150E
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
434 total130 in this make and model163 in the last 90 days
N3549JRegistration cancelled Jan 4, 2002 · Cessna 150ES/N 15061249 · Built 1965Airframe modelCessna 150EEngine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Picked up banner then dropped it. Climbed partial power. Turned back stalled and spun in. (.4) the pilot made a successful hook but during the climb, a witness did not hear the engine RPM increase. The pilot dropped the banner and continued climbing then banked initially to the right. The flight climbed to an estimated height of 300 feet then the pilot began a left turn to return to the airport. During the turn, the angle of bank increased and the airplane then pitched nose down, and impacted the ground about 1,400 feet from the approach end of the south runway. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The fuse for the auxiliary fuel pump was blown; however, no determination was made as to the reason for the blown fuse. The engine was placed in a test stand where it was found to operate normally. Visual examination of the carburetor revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine which was installed into the airplane 20 years and 6 months earlier in accordance with a STC, did not contain an engine driven fuel pump as required. Additionally, the auxiliary fuel pump was determined to be wired into a circ uit that was not depicted by the installation instructions. (-23) the pilot of a Cessna 150E, N3549J was attempting to pick up the banner. After the initial pick up of the banner, the pilot immediately released the banner. The aircraft climbed straight ahead, apparently under partial power to an altitude of about 350 feet and started a left turn to return to the airport. While coming out of 30 degree bank turn to the left and getting aligned with the runway, the aircraft entered a left spin and crashed.

As the FAA filed it

PICKED UP BANNER THEN DROPPED IT. CLIMBED PARTIAL POWER. TURNED BACK STALLED AND SPUN IN. (.4) THE PILOT MADE A SUCCESSFUL HOOK BUT DURING THE CLIMB, A WITNESS DID NOT HEAR THE ENGINE RPM INCREASE. THE PILOT DROPPED THE BANNER AND CONTINUED CLIMBING THEN BANKED INITIALLY TO THE RIGHT. THE FLIGHT CLIMBED TO AN ESTIMATED HEIGHT OF 300 FEET THEN THE PILOT BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. DURING THE TURN, THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASED AND THE AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED NOSE DOWN, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 1,400 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE SOUTH RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE FUSE FOR THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WAS BLOWN; HOWEVER, NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE BLOWN FUSE. THE ENGINE WAS PLACED IN A TEST STAND WHERE IT WAS FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE WHICH WAS INSTALLED INTO THE AIRPLANE 20 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS EARLIER IN ACCORDANCE WITH A STC, DID NOT CONTAIN AN ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AS REQUIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WAS DETERMINED TO BE WIRED INTO A CIRC UIT THAT WAS NOT DEPICTED BY THE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. (-23) THE PILOT OF A CESSNA 150E, N3549J WAS ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP THE BANNER. AFTER THE INITIAL PICK UP OF THE BANNER, THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASED THE BANNER. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED STRAIGHT AHEAD, APPARENTLY UNDER PARTIAL POWER TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 350 FEET AND STARTED A LEFT TURN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. WHILE COMING OUT OF 30 DEGREE BANK TURN TO THE LEFT AND GETTING ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A LEFT SPIN AND CRASHED.

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 MIA98FA196Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPanama City Bch, FLThe failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed (Vs) and the inadvertent stall by the pilot. Contributing to the accident was the intentional operation of the airplane by the pilot in an over gross weight condition resulting in a higher stall speed, and failure…Jul 15, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3549J · 1

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

Incident 19830108002559ILevel Off Touchdown · Richmond, VASolo student allowed aircraft to drop to the runway after leveling off to high. Damaged propeller and motor mount.Jan 8, 1983 · Minor damage