# Accident 20001014017109A: Cessna 150, Homer, GA, October 14, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 14, 2000, 12:39 local time - Place: Homer, GA - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.3294° N, 83.4906° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3294&lon=-83.4906&mi=10 - Aircraft: N18130 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150 - Pilot certificates: Student - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL01LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01LA009) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001014017109A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23)PILOT STATEMENT: 10/14/00, SATURDAY, I HAVE ARRIVED TO THE PICKENS COUNTY AIRPORT (LQK) AT ABOUT 9:30AM TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION TO COMPLETE MY FIRST SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY PLANNING. THE DESTINATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS GAINSVILLE AIRPORT, GA (GVL). AFTER COMPLETING THE APPROPRIATE PLANNING AND PROCEDURES, PERFORMING PREFLIGHT CKECK-UP, AND GETTING ENDORSEMENTS FROM MY FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR I HAVE TAXIED TO THE END OF RUNWAY 23 IN CESSNA-150, TAIL NUMBER N18130. THE ENGINE RUNUP WAS PERFORMED AND NO ABNORMALITIES WERE PRESENT. MAGNETOS AND CARB HEAT WERE FUNCTIONING, ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE IN THE GREEN ARC, ETC. THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE WAS 11:42 AM ACCORDING TO MY WRIST WATCH (MY WATCH IS 12 MINUTES AHEAD OF ACTUAL TIME). AFTER I TOOK OFF AND DEPARTED THE PATTERN STRAIGHT OUT I CONTINUED CLIMBING TO THE INTENDED ALTITUDE TO 4500 FEET MSL. AT ABOUT 3000 FEET I HAVE SET THE FREQUENCY FOR THE ANDERSON FLIGHT SERVICE STATION TO 123.6 IN THE STANDYBY WINDOW AND PREPARED TO INITIATE THE CONTACT IN ORDER TO OPEN MY FLIGHT PLAN. LATER WHEN I CONTACTED ANDERSON RADIO, I HAVE ONLY GOT A RESPOSE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIO TRANSMISSION COMES THROUGH BROKEN, SO I HAVE CHECKED IF THE HEADSET IS PLUGGED IN PROPERLY. AFTER THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS OPEN, I PROCEEDED BY CONTACTING GREER APPROACH ON 118.8 TO REQUEST THE FLIGHT FOLLOWING. I WAS GIVEN THE SQUAWK CODE AS USUALLY. I PROCEDDED ON COURSE TO GVL - GRAINSVILLE,GA. THE ALTITUDE WAS EXACTLY 4500 FEET MSL, I WAS ON THE INTENDED HEADING ON 248 (250), AND EVERYTHING WAS EXACTLY AS PLANNED. AT THE ALTITUDE OF 3200 FEET I HAVE ALREADY STARTED LEANING OUT THE FUEL MIXTURE BY PULLING OUT BY FEW CLICKS, AND WHEN I HAVE GAINED 4500 FEET I HAVE LEANED THE MIXTURE AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. I WAS EXACTLY ONTHE COURSE AND HAVE RECORDED THE TIMES THAT I PASSED OVER MY CHECKPOINTS. I HAVE PASSED TOCCOA AIRPORT AT 12:08 (BY MY WRIST WATCH) AND THIS WAS THE LAST RECORD I MADE DURING THIS FLIGHT. I WAS ALREADY HANDED OVER TO THE ATLANTA CENTER FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. AGAIN I HAD PROBLEM WITH THE RADIO AND ATLANTA CENTER DID NOT SEE ME ON THE RADAR. I HAVE RECYCLED THE SQUAWK CODE THEY GAVE ME, AND INDENTED. I WAS ASKED TO INTENT. ALSO, THEY SEEMED NOT TO HEAR ALL MY RADIO TRANMISSIONS. I INTENDED TO HAVE MY RADIO CHECKED IN GAINSVILLE AFTER LANDING, AND CALL TO MY HOME BASE AIRPORT FOR ADVISE ABO UT RADIO. FEW MINUTES LATER THE ENGIEN STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND THE RPMS WENT DOWN. IT WAS UNEXPECTED, BUT I DID NOT PANIC. I HAVE PERFORMED A QUICK CHECK PROCEDURE, AND THERE WAS NOTICED NOTHING ABNORMAL IN THE SETTINGS. FUEL VALVE WAS ON, CARB HEAT IN, THROTTLE OPEN AS FOR CRUISE, MIXTURE LEANED AS AUPPOSED, PRIMER LOCKED AND THE KEY IN THE THE BOTH POSITION. THE ENGINE CONTINUED COUGHING. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ENRICH FUEL, THINKING IT MAY HAVE BEEN TOO LEAN BUT THIS DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. MAKING IT LEANER AGAIN DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING AS WELL, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BEHAVE THE SAME WAY. IT DID NOT REACT TO CHANGES. THE ENGINE WOULD STOP, AND THEN START AGAIN SPONTANEOUSLY. CHANGES IN THROTTLE MADE NO DIFFERENCE, AS WELL AS ACHANGES IN CARBURETOR HEAT, OR MIXTURE. I CONTACTED ATLANTA CENTER AND REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS LOSING ALTITUDE AND STARTED LOOKING FOR THE POSSIBLE PLACE TO LAND. HABERSHAM AIRPORT WAS ABUT 5-6 MILES TO THE RIGHT OF COURSE BUT THE AIRPLANE ALREADY LOST ALTITUDE AND I DID NOT HAVE IT IN SIGHT. I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH IT IN ANY CASE. I WAS STILL CONTINUING ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE THE ENGINE POWER, HOWEVER I HAVE REALIZED THAT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS INEVITABLE AND STARTED LOOKING FOR THE PLACE TO LAND. THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ABOVE ME IN CONTACT AND THEY REPORTED TO THE ATLANTA CENTER THAT THEY HAVE MY AIRCRAFT IN SIGHT. I WAS ALREADY ABOUT 2600 FEET MSL GOING DOWN. I BELIEVE ATLANTA CENTER WAS GETTING BROKEN RADION RECEPTION AND COULD NOT HEAR ALL MY TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE MADE THE LAST RADIO CALL TO REPORT THAT I AM LANDING. I HAVE FOUND A FIELD AND STARTED SETTING UP AIRPLANE FOR SOFT SHORT FIELD LANDING AS I WAS TRAINED. MIXTURE WAS MADE RICH WHEN I WAS ON ALTITUDE OF 3000 FEET, AND CARB HEAT WAS ON DESCENT. I HAVE PUT FUL FLAPS AND MADE ATTEMPTS TO PITCH FOR 60, HOWEVER ENGINE WAS BEYOND MY CONTROL. IT WAS QUITTTING AND THEN STARTING AGAIN. I WAS LOSING ALTITUDE FAST, BUT DESCENDED TO THE FIELD AND PULLED UP TO FLARE RIGHT BEFORE THE TOP ON THE LITTLE HILL. AIRPLANE WAS GOING A LITTLE ABOVE 60 MILES AN HOUR, AND POWER WAS IDLE, THE ENGINE WAS STILL STARTING AND QUITTING HOWEVER AIRPLANE WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. IT HIT THE GROUND HARD, THE FRONT STRUT WAS BENT, AND THE PROPELLER HIT THE GROUND AND STOPPED. I BELIEVE THE SHOCK THREW THE AIRPLANE FEWW FEET UP IN THE AIR AND THE IT WAS SET ON T HE GROUND. THOUGH I WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS AND HARNESS, I HIT THE HEAD ON SOMETHING AND FOR A MOMENT DID NOT REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. FEW SECONDS LATER THE AIRPLANE WAS LAYING STILL ON THE GROUND ON THE COWLING WITH THE FRONT STRUT BENT UNDER THE PLANE AND PROPELLER BENT. ALREADY ON THE GROUND I TURNED THE FUEL VALVE OFF TO PREVENT POSSIBLE FIRE, CARB HEAT IN (LIKE AFTER NORMAL LANDING), AND LEFT THE MIXTURE, THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY OFF. I REALIZED LATER THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED ANYTHING IN CASE SOMEBODY WILL WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW CONTROLS WERE AT TIME OF LANDING. I DID NOT RETRACT THE FLAPS. I GOT OUT OF THE PLANE, AND SAW A PLANE IN THE SKY MAKING CIRCLES. MY RADIO WAS STILL ON AND I HEARD THE PILOT REPORTING TO ATLANTA CENTER THAT HE CAN SEE THE PILOT WAS ON THE GROUND ALIVE. I REALIZED I NEED TO TURN OFF THE RADIO, AND MASTER SWITHC, AND STEP AWAY FOR THE AIRPLANE, BECAUSE THE FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE BREATHER ON THE LEFT WING. I HAVE LANDED IN THE GRASS FIELD ABOUT 200 FEET FROM A FARM HOUSE, AND OWNER OF THE HOUSE WAS OUTSIDE JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER TO ASSIST. I HAVE NOT RECORDED THE TIME WHEN THE AIRPLANE HIT HTE GROUND, HOWEVER SOME TIME LATER MY WATCH INDICATED 12:29, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 12:17 NOON. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL01LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01LA009), Oct 14, 2000: Cessna 150L (N18130), Homer, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors were conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.