# Accident 19980715023609A: Cessna 150E, Panama City Bea, FL, July 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 1998, 11:55 local time
- Place: Panama City Bea, FL
- Airport: Buchanan Stol
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.2008° N, 85.7901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2008&lon=-85.7901&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3549J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3549J-2002-01-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150E (registry code 2071812, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150E
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 434 total, 130 in this make and model, 163 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98FA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA196) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980715023609A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 MIA98FA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA196), Jul 15, 1998: Cessna 150E (N3549J), Panama City Bch, FL, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N3549J (1)

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

- [Incident 19830108002559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830108002559I), Jan 8, 1983: Cessna 150 (N3549J), Richmond, VA, Minor damage. Solo student allowed aircraft to drop to the runway after leveling off to high. Damaged propeller and motor mount.

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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