# Accident 19980807020199A: Cessna 150J, Belen, NM, August 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 7, 1998, 11:20 local time - Place: Belen, NM - Airport: Alexander Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.6506° N, 106.7690° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6506&lon=-106.7690&mi=10 - Aircraft: N60564 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150J - Reported engine: CONT O200A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,672 total, 70 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA357](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA357) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980807020199A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT DEPARTED TO TEST FLIGHT AN ENGINE AND CRASHED APPROX 1 MILE FROM THE ARPT.(.4) ON AUGUST 7, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1120 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150J, N60564, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED SHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING 1 MILE SOUTH OF ALEXANDER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BELEN, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE TEST FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BELEN APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT TOLD FAA INSPECTORS THAT HE DETECTED WATER IN THE FUEL DURING THIS PREFLIGHT, AND THOUGHT HE HAD DRAINED ALL THE WATER FROM THE TANKS. IN HIS ACCIDENT REPORT, HOWEVER, HE MADE NO REFERENCE TO HIS PREFLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 21, THE ENGINE LOST POWER BUT WAS "SURGING". THE PILOT TRIED TO LAND ON A ROAD BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PILOT STATED THE "AIRCRAFT [WAS] IN GROUND EFFECT WITH [THE] STALL WARNING HORN IN OPERATION". HE FLEW WITHIN 30 YARDS OF [A] ROAD WHEN [HE] COULD NO LONGER KEEP IN GROUND EFFECT WITH POWER THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING". THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON SOFT SANDY SOIL SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET AND NOSED OVER. FAA INSPECTORS REPORTED DRAINING A CONSIDERABLE QUANTITY OF "RUST RED" WATER FROM BOTH FUEL TANKS AND DEBRIS FROM THE GASCOLATOR. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PILOT'S AIRMEN CERTIFICATE WAS SUSPENDD IN 1989 FOR 60 DAYS AND THEN WAS REINSTATED. IN DECEMBER 1997, HIS MECHANIC'S LICENSE WAS "AMENDED" BUT IS NOW SUSPENDED. AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE ALSO REPORTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE AIRPLANE SERIAL NUMBER MATCHED THE REGISTRATION NUMBER, THE LATTER HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM FAA'S CENTRAL REGISTRY. THE AIRPLANE WAS LISTED AS SOLD ON DECEMBER 24, 1991, BUT NO NEW OWNER'S NAME WAS LISTED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS CONTACTED AND HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. INSPECTORS SAID THERE WAS NO VALID CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS OR REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE IN THE AIRPLANE (-23) ON 08/07/98, APPROXIMATELY 1125 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN CESSNA MODEL 150J, N60564, OPERATED BY MR. JUDE E. SALAZAR, WAS SUBSTANTIALLUY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOU THWEST OF THE BELEN, NM (E80) AIRPORT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE, SINGLE & MULTIENGINE, LAND RATING (S). THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT OVERTURNED DURING LANDING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FUNCTIONAL MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BELEN, NM, APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD DRAINED THE SUMPS OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO FLIGHT AND HAD FOUND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE FUEL. HE BELIEVED THAT HE HAD DRAINED ALL THE CONTAMINANTS PRIOR TO FLIGHT, BUT STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH JUST AFTER TAKEOFF. THE HAD ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING. FAA INSPECTORS AT THE SITE DRAINED WATER FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CARBURETOR. ## 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 FTW98LA357](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA357), Aug 7, 1998: Cessna 150J (N60564), Belen, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper preflight in that he failed to drain the water from the fuel sumps. Factors were water contamination in the fuel tank and a sand bar. 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.