20000228011329A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150L · Brooksville, FL · February 28, 2000

Date
February 28, 2000 · 15:12 local
Place
Brooksville, FL
Airport
Pilot Country Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N717NC
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA099
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,830 total1,073 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.

(-23) On feb. 28, 2000, at 1500 local time, a Cessna 150L, N717NC, registered to nasworthy corporation, collided with the berm approx. 1000 feet from runway 36 threshold and approx. 60 feet left of runway center line at Pilot Country Airport(X05) while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The a/c was destroyed and the PIC had minor injuries and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at zephyrillis muni airport (zph) at 1300 local time. (.4)on February 28, 2000, at about 1512 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150L, N717NC, registered to nosworthy corporation, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed on approach to landing at Pilot Country Airport (X05), Brooksville, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private Pilot reported minor injures. The private Pilot passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Pilot Country Airport about 5 minutes before the accident. The Pilot stated he had landed at X05 and tax ied back for takeoff. He remained in left closed traffic for runway 36. Upon reaching his abeam point for his intended point of landing, he applied carburetor heat, reduced power, turned left base, applied flaps 40 degrees, and pushed the throttle in to clear the engine. The engine did not clear. He added power with no response. He pushed the throttle all the way in with negative results, turned final and lined up so as to land over the lowest part of an earth berm running perpendicular to the end of the runway. He lined up with a grass strip alongside the runway flying just above stall speed. He realized the berm was coming closer. He applied aft pressure on the control yoke and hit the berm with all 3 landing gear, and the airplane came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed the carburetor heat was found in the off position. Damage at the bottom of the carburetor air box revealed that the air valve was in the open position, no carburetor heat applied. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical reason for the engine failing to maintain power. For additional information see FAA inspector statement and Continental motors accident investigation report. The engine assembly was removed and transported to certified engines unlimited, inc., an authorized FAA approved repair station. The engine was placed in a test cell. The engine developed rated power and achieved takeoff power. Review of the probability carburetor icing chart revealed the engine would encounter serious icing at descent power based on the weather observation at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEB. 28, 2000, AT 1500 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N717NC, REGISTERED TO NASWORTHY CORPORATION, COLLIDED WITH THE BERM APPROX. 1000 FEET FROM RUNWAY 36 THRESHOLD AND APPROX. 60 FEET LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTER LINE AT PILOT COUNTRY AIRPORT(X05) WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED AND THE PIC HAD MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ZEPHYRILLIS MUNI AIRPORT (ZPH) AT 1300 LOCAL TIME. (.4)ON FEBRUARY 28, 2000, AT ABOUT 1512 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N717NC, REGISTERED TO NOSWORTHY CORPORATION, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED ON APPROACH TO LANDING AT PILOT COUNTRY AIRPORT (X05), BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED MINOR INJURES. THE PRIVATE PILOT PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PILOT COUNTRY AIRPORT ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD LANDED AT X05 AND TAX IED BACK FOR TAKEOFF. HE REMAINED IN LEFT CLOSED TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 36. UPON REACHING HIS ABEAM POINT FOR HIS INTENDED POINT OF LANDING, HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, REDUCED POWER, TURNED LEFT BASE, APPLIED FLAPS 40 DEGREES, AND PUSHED THE THROTTLE IN TO CLEAR THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE DID NOT CLEAR. HE ADDED POWER WITH NO RESPONSE. HE PUSHED THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY IN WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS, TURNED FINAL AND LINED UP SO AS TO LAND OVER THE LOWEST PART OF AN EARTH BERM RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE LINED UP WITH A GRASS STRIP ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY FLYING JUST ABOVE STALL SPEED. HE REALIZED THE BERM WAS COMING CLOSER. HE APPLIED AFT PRESSURE ON THE CONTROL YOKE AND HIT THE BERM WITH ALL 3 LANDING GEAR, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. DAMAGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR AIR BOX REVEALED THAT THE AIR VALVE WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION, NO CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO MECHANICAL REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILING TO MAINTAIN POWER. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE FAA INSPECTOR STATEMENT AND CONTINENTAL MOTORS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT. THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND TRANSPORTED TO CERTIFIED ENGINES UNLIMITED, INC., AN AUTHORIZED FAA APPROVED REPAIR STATION. THE ENGINE WAS PLACED IN A TEST CELL. THE ENGINE DEVELOPED RATED POWER AND ACHIEVED TAKEOFF POWER. REVIEW OF THE PROBABILITY CARBURETOR ICING CHART REVEALED THE ENGINE WOULD ENCOUNTER SERIOUS ICING AT DESCENT POWER BASED ON THE WEATHER OBSERVATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

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