19990108000309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150M · Bryan, TX · January 8, 1999

Date
January 8, 1999 · 17:15 local
Place
Bryan, TX
Airport
Coulter Field Airport
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N66464
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA065
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
54 total51 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

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.

Acft was on long final when the engine quit, and the acft crashed short of the rwy. (.19) on January 8, 1999, at 1619 central standard time, a Cessna 150M airplane, N66464, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near madisonville, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by Bryan aviation, inc., of Bryan, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 flight, for which a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight originated from the Coulter Field Airport, near Bryan, Texas, approximately 3 hours prior to the accident. The FAA inspector who traveled to the accident site reported that the recently licensed private pilot had taken his father for a flight in the vicinity of their home town. The private pilot reported that while on final approach to runway 36 at the madisonville municipal airport, the engine lost power. During the ensuing forced landing, the left wing collided with the trunk of a tree, resulting in a 180 degree change of direction. The airplane came to rest on the shoulder of a county road, approximately 850FEET from the landing threshold for runway 36. Examination of the wreckage of the 1974 model aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the left wing separated from the airframe and the fuselage was buckled behind the baggage compartment. The cabin area of the airplane was not compromised during the accident sequence. (.4) the recently certificated private pilot reported that the engine lost power while on final approach to an airport, 3 hours after takeoff for a local flight. The pilot and his father performed a 25 minute flight in the local area in the same airplane earlier that morning. They planned for a 1.5 hour flight in the afternoon. He reported checking the fuel quantity with a stick and estimated to have enough fuel for a 2.5 to 3.0 hour flight. The pilot stated that he encountered strong winds while in the local area that drifted him further east then he anticipated. The airplane came to rest on the shoulder of a county road, approximately 850 feet from the landing threshold for runway 36. No evidence of fuel was found at the accident site. (-23)on the early evening on January 8, 1999, privacy data omitted departed Coulter field in Bryan Texas (cfd). privacy data omitted Was flying around for an undetermined amount of time and then decided to land at madisonville muni (51R) approximately 24NM away. On final approach to runway 36 (800-1000 feet from the threshold) the engine started to sputter and then died. privacy data omitted Attempted to land in a field prior to some trees along a road that was perpendicular to the runway. The field was overshot and the left wing hit a tree at approximately 12 feet up. The left wing was detached and the CE-150M was spun to the left, and now pointing to the south. The airplane then fell straight down from a height of approximately 10-12 feet. The aircraft was in the middle of a dirt road, (grant rd./county road 406), blocking all traffic. On scene investigation revealed there was no fuel in either wing tank or the engine fuel sump. There was no sign of fuel spillage or the smell of fuel at the accident site. There were no injuries to the two souls on board.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT WAS ON LONG FINAL WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE ACFT CRASHED SHORT OF THE RWY. (.19) ON JANUARY 8, 1999, AT 1619 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150M AIRPLANE, N66464, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR MADISONVILLE, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BRYAN AVIATION, INC., OF BRYAN, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE COULTER FIELD AIRPORT, NEAR BRYAN, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THAT THE RECENTLY LICENSED PRIVATE PILOT HAD TAKEN HIS FATHER FOR A FLIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THEIR HOME TOWN. THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36 AT THE MADISONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH THE TRUNK OF A TREE, RESULTING IN A 180 DEGREE CHANGE OF DIRECTION. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE SHOULDER OF A COUNTY ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 850FEET FROM THE LANDING THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 36. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE OF THE 1974 MODEL AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND THE FUSELAGE WAS BUCKLED BEHIND THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE CABIN AREA OF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. (.4) THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO AN AIRPORT, 3 HOURS AFTER TAKEOFF FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND HIS FATHER PERFORMED A 25 MINUTE FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA IN THE SAME AIRPLANE EARLIER THAT MORNING. THEY PLANNED FOR A 1.5 HOUR FLIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON. HE REPORTED CHECKING THE FUEL QUANTITY WITH A STICK AND ESTIMATED TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR A 2.5 TO 3.0 HOUR FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG WINDS WHILE IN THE LOCAL AREA THAT DRIFTED HIM FURTHER EAST THEN HE ANTICIPATED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE SHOULDER OF A COUNTY ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 850 FEET FROM THE LANDING THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 36. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. (-23)ON THE EARLY EVENING ON JANUARY 8, 1999, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED COULTER FIELD IN BRYAN TEXAS (CFD). ^PRIVACY DAT^ WAS FLYING AROUND FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEN DECIDED TO LAND AT MADISONVILLE MUNI (51R) APPROXIMATELY 24NM AWAY. ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36 (800-1000 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD) THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND THEN DIED. ^PRIVACY DAT^ ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD PRIOR TO SOME TREES ALONG A ROAD THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. THE FIELD WAS OVERSHOT AND THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE AT APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET UP. THE LEFT WING WAS DETACHED AND THE CE-150M WAS SPUN TO THE LEFT, AND NOW POINTING TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRPLANE THEN FELL STRAIGHT DOWN FROM A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 10-12 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DIRT ROAD, (GRANT RD./COUNTY ROAD 406), BLOCKING ALL TRAFFIC. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS NO FUEL IN EITHER WING TANK OR THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FUEL SPILLAGE OR THE SMELL OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE TWO SOULS ON BOARD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.