19980808020049A

(.4) History of flight: on August 8, 1998, at 2135 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N19127, was destroyed after an aborted landing and subsequent collision with trees approximately 3/4 miles northeast of the bradford county airport (N27), Towanda, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot stated that he and his passenger arrived at the airport about 2000, with the intent of conducting a night local area flight. The pilot and passenger departed Towanda, then over flew troy, before processed back to Towanda, where they entered a left downwind for runway 5. While on final the pilot "slipped" the airplane because it was "high and fast." Once over the runway the pilot made three attempts to land the airplane, but each attempt resulted in the airplane bouncing back into the air. After the third bounce and approximately half way down the 3,200 foot runway, the pilot decided to execute a go-around. The pilot added power and the engine responded. During initial climb, the pilot noted that his airspeed was 50-60 mph, and he retracted the flaps to approximately 10 degrees. After retracting the flaps to 10 degrees he started to anticipate difficulty in clearing the trees that were 3/4 of a mile passed the departure end of the runway. In addition, the pilot heard the stall warning horn activate on several occassion, but stated it was not on when the airplane entered the trees. After the airplane impacted the tops of trees it came to rest approximately 40 feet above the ground with both the pilot and passenger in it and conscious. With the airplane suspended in the tree, both the pilot and passenger were forced to egress because of a post crash fire. The pilot was able to exit the airplane and position himself on a branch approximately 35 feet above the ground, but the passenger was unable to maneuver herself onto the tree, and fell about 40 feet to the ground, sustaining fatal injuries. The wreckage was located, latitude 41 degrees, 45.30 minutes north by longitude 76 degrees, 26.30 minutes west, approximately 733 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Personnel information: a review of federal aviation administration records revealed that the pilot held an airplane single engine land rating that was issued on November 11, 1996. His last third class medical was dated October 24, 1996, and carried the restriction that he must wear corrective lenses. The pilot stated he had approximately 300 hours of total flight experience, and about 30 hours of night flight experience. The pilot flew about 1.5 hours of night approximately one month prior to the accident. Aircraft information: N19127 was a Cessna 150L, serial number 15074187 was manufactured in 1972. The airplane received a 100 hour inspection on June 23, 1998 and had flown a total of 67 since that inspection. At the time of the accident the airframe had a total of 6,106 hours on it. The airplane was equipped with a Continental O-200-A, serial number 5901071-011, with a rated horsepower of 100. The engine had a total of 1,429 hours of service since overhaul and was equipped with a mccauley propeller, model 1A101, serial number 69561. Meteorological information: the closest recorded weather to the accident site was, binghamton regional airport, binghamton, new york, located 40 miles to the northeast. At 2156, binghamton reported winds 162 degrees magnetic at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition clear, temperature 22 degrees fahrenheit, dew point 15 degrees fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.33. Wreckage and impact information: the airplane was examined at the accident site on August 9, 1998. The engine, right wing, and left wing were at the base of about a 100 foot tall tree that had burn and scrape marks down its side. In the tree, approximately 35 feet above the ground, was the floor of the main fuselage and main landing gear. The main landing gear was wedged between two branches that formed a fork in the tree. Both of the branches were approximately 2.5 feet in diameter. The empennage was suspended below the floor of the main fuselage, attached only by the elevator and rudder flight control cables. The cockpit, flight instruments, system instruments, and cockpit switches were consumed in the post crash fire. The fuel selector was in the on position but fuel system continuity could not be established because of fire damage. Flight control continuity could not be established for the ailerons, because of fire damage, but was established for both the elevator and rudder. The flap jackscrews were examined and found to be consistent with a flap up configuration. Medical and pathological information: an autopsy was performed on the passenger at robert packer medical center, sayre, Pennsylvania, on August 10, 1998. In addition, the FAA toxicology and accident research laboratory conducted a toxicological screening for the passenger, and found no carbon monoxide or cyanide in her system. Tests and research: on August 9, 1998 the engine was examined at the accident site. The top spark plugs were removed, and found to be grayish in color, and free of debris. When the propeller was rotated by hand, thumb compression was obtained on all four cylinders. Fire destroyed the magnetos, preventing examination. Both propeller blades were covered with a light gray soot, and the tip of o NE of the blades was melted. Additional information: the owner's manual for the accident airplane noted a stall speed of 49 mph with 20 degrees of flaps, and a stall speed of 55 mph with o degrees of flaps. In addition a representative from the airframe manufacture stated that the stall horn activates at 4 to 8 mph above stall speed. The owner's manual for the accident airplane provides the following procedure for a balked landing. (1) throttle full"open" (2) carburetor heat cold (3) wing flaps 20 degrees (4) upon reaching an airspeed of approximately 65 mph, retract flaps slowly. According to a performance table published in the owner's manual, a Cessna 150L weighing 1,600 pounds, flaps retracted, at sea level, with an outside air temperature 59 degrees fahrenheit, would obtain a maximum rate of climb of 670 feet per minute at an indicated airspeed of 76 mph. The owner's manual does not provide rate of climb information for flap settings other than for flaps up. The distance from the departure end of the runway to the accident site was approximately 3/4 of a mile. The tops of the trees at the accident site were about 100 feet higher then departure end of the runway. The NTSB investigator calculated that at 76 mph, a rate of climb of approximately 169 feet per minute was required to clear a 100 foot obstacle 3/4 of a mile from the departure end of the runway. The formula used for this calculation was r = (h/((d/s) *60)). In the formula, r=rate of climb, d=distance, and s=speed. (-23)