19990906025469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150 · Big Lake, AK · September 6, 1999

Date
September 6, 1999 · 11:30 local
Place
Big Lake, AK
Airport
Jewellairstrip
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N63460
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA142
Reported as
Cessna 150
Reported engine
Continental O200*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
599 total415 in this make and model61 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 September 6, 1999, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150 airplane, N63460, sustained substantial damage when it contacted brush during takeoff and initial climb from the jewell airstrip, at 61 degrees 43 minutes north latitude, 150 degrees 37 minutes west longitude, about 20 miles west of Big Lake, Alaska. The private pilot and sole passenger were not injured. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight in the local area. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone interview with an NTSB investigator on September 9, the pilot stated that during the initial climb after takeoff from the 1,900 feet long airstrip, the left wing contacted brush, the airplane pivoted 180 degrees, and the right wing struck the ground. The pilot said he was departing uphill, and the winds were five to ten knots. (-23) pilot was departing up hill from a 1900' gravel strip. According to the pilot shortly after the aircraft became airborne it lost lift and settled into the brush at the end of the runway. When the right wing came in cont act with the brush it groundlooped to the right and came to a stop facing the opposite direction from takeoff. (.4) the pilot stated that during the initial climb after takeoff from the 1,350 feet long grass airstrip, the airplane's left wing contacted brush, the airplane pivoted 180 degrees, and the right wing struck the ground. The pilot said he was departing uphill, and the winds were five to ten knots. The pilot also indicated that the headwind stopped during the takeoff. The Cessna 150 takeoff distance performance charts for 1,600 pounds takeoff weight, 20 degrees celsius, and sea level pressure altitude, indicate the required ground roll is 765 feet, and the distance to clear a 50 feet high obstacle is 1,435 feet. The chart provides a 10% reduction in distance for each 9 knots headwind, and a 15% increase in distance for dry grass. No correction is provided to account for the uphill slope.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1999, ABOUT 1130 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150 AIRPLANE, N63460, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT CONTACTED BRUSH DURING TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE JEWELL AIRSTRIP, AT 61 DEGREES 43 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 150 DEGREES 37 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE, ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF BIG LAKE, ALASKA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR ON SEPTEMBER 9, THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE 1,900 FEET LONG AIRSTRIP, THE LEFT WING CONTACTED BRUSH, THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED 180 DEGREES, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS DEPARTING UPHILL, AND THE WINDS WERE FIVE TO TEN KNOTS. (-23) PILOT WAS DEPARTING UP HILL FROM A 1900' GRAVEL STRIP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE IT LOST LIFT AND SETTLED INTO THE BRUSH AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE RIGHT WING CAME IN CONT ACT WITH THE BRUSH IT GROUNDLOOPED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO A STOP FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM TAKEOFF. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE 1,350 FEET LONG GRASS AIRSTRIP, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING CONTACTED BRUSH, THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED 180 DEGREES, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS DEPARTING UPHILL, AND THE WINDS WERE FIVE TO TEN KNOTS. THE PILOT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE HEADWIND STOPPED DURING THE TAKEOFF. THE CESSNA 150 TAKEOFF DISTANCE PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR 1,600 POUNDS TAKEOFF WEIGHT, 20 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND SEA LEVEL PRESSURE ALTITUDE, INDICATE THE REQUIRED GROUND ROLL IS 765 FEET, AND THE DISTANCE TO CLEAR A 50 FEET HIGH OBSTACLE IS 1,435 FEET. THE CHART PROVIDES A 10% REDUCTION IN DISTANCE FOR EACH 9 KNOTS HEADWIND, AND A 15% INCREASE IN DISTANCE FOR DRY GRASS. NO CORRECTION IS PROVIDED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE UPHILL SLOPE.

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 N63460 · 1

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