19990316013829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150F · Fairbanks, AK · March 16, 1999

Date
March 16, 1999 · 11:30 local
Place
Fairbanks, AK
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
QOFC
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8620S
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA034
Reported as
Cessna 150F
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
112 total11 in this make and model6 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.

(.19) On March 16, 1999, about 1130 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 150 airplane, N8620S, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing, about 40 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot and the one passenger aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Fairbanks international airport, Fairbanks, about 1030. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge, on March 16, the pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the engine began to run rough, and lose power. The engine continued to lose power until altitude could no longer be maintained, and the pilot selected a frozen lake as an emergency landing site. He said that as the airplane touched down, deep snow pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing struck the snow. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and elevator. (.4) the private pilot rented the accident airplane from a local flight school. He reported that while in cruise flight, the engine began to run rough, and lose power. The engine continued to lose power until altitude could no longer be maintained, and the pilot selected a frozen lake as an emergency landing site. He said that as the airplane touched down, deep snow pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing struck the snow. An FAA inspector interviewed the owner of the airplane on the following day. He reported that the owner and his mechanic traveled to the accident site in order to recover the accident airplane. The owner told the FAA inspector that upon arrival at the accident site, the engine primer was found in the unlocked position. He added that once the primer was placed in the locked position, the engine was started. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and elevator. During a subsequent follow-up telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot said the airplane's primer was in and locked at the time of the accident. (-23)during a flight from Fairbanks, Alaska, to ft yukon, Alaska, Mr. Bowman experienced a partial power loss at 400 RPM. Mr. Bowman applied carburetorheat and the power returned to normal, after a few minutes, he experienced a second power lose and applied carburetor heat again. This failed to resolve the power loss Mr. Bowman applied full power with the mixture set to full rich. Mr. Bowman continued to loss power and elected to make a forced landing.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON MARCH 16, 1999, ABOUT 1130 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 150 AIRPLANE, N8620S, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FAIRBANKS, ABOUT 1030. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, ON MARCH 16, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND LOSE POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER UNTIL ALTITUDE COULD NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED, AND THE PILOT SELECTED A FROZEN LAKE AS AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. HE SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, DEEP SNOW PIVOTED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT, AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE SNOW. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND ELEVATOR. (.4) THE PRIVATE PILOT RENTED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT SCHOOL. HE REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND LOSE POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER UNTIL ALTITUDE COULD NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED, AND THE PILOT SELECTED A FROZEN LAKE AS AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. HE SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, DEEP SNOW PIVOTED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT, AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE SNOW. AN FAA INSPECTOR INTERVIEWED THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. HE REPORTED THAT THE OWNER AND HIS MECHANIC TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE IN ORDER TO RECOVER THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE OWNER TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE ENGINE PRIMER WAS FOUND IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION. HE ADDED THAT ONCE THE PRIMER WAS PLACED IN THE LOCKED POSITION, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND ELEVATOR. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW-UP TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE'S PRIMER WAS IN AND LOCKED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)DURING A FLIGHT FROM FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, TO FT YUKON, ALASKA, MR. BOWMAN EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL POWER LOSS AT 400 RPM. MR. BOWMAN APPLIED CARBURETORHEAT AND THE POWER RETURNED TO NORMAL, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HE EXPERIENCED A SECOND POWER LOSE AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AGAIN. THIS FAILED TO RESOLVE THE POWER LOSS MR. BOWMAN APPLIED FULL POWER WITH THE MIXTURE SET TO FULL RICH. MR. BOWMAN CONTINUED TO LOSS POWER AND ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N8620S · 1

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