# Accident 20010603009969A: Cessna 150L, Tulare, CA, June 3, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 3, 2001, 10:00 local time - Place: Tulare, CA - Airport: Mefford Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.1566° N, 119.3266° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MEFFORD FLD (TLR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1566&lon=-119.3266&mi=10 - Aircraft: N10531, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N10531-2004-05-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150L (registry code 2071826, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150L - Reported engine: CONT O200A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 48 total, 48 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01FA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA198) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010603009969A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON JUNE 3, 2001, AT 1000 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N10531, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A FARM EQUIPMENT YARD SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM MEFFORD FIELD (TLR), TULARE, CALIFORNIA. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY ANTHONY P. SARIO, AND WAS RENTED BY THE STUDENT FOR THE LOCAL SOLO PRACTICE FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED VISALIA, CALIFORNIA, APPROXIMATELY 0945 FOR THE 10-MILE FLIGHT TO MEFFORD FIELD. THE STUDENT WAS GOING TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A WITNESS WAS AT THE FARM EXPOSITION GROUNDS, LOCATED ADJACENT TO, AND AT THE DEPARTURE END, OF RUNWAY 31 AT MEFFORD FIELD. HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN REMOTE CONTROL (R.C.) AIRPLANE FLYING AT A RUNWAY LOCATED ON THE GROUNDS. HE STATED THAT HE WITNESSED THE AIRPLANE AS IT WAS CLIMBING FROM A DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 31. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE WING FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THE FULL DOWN POSITION. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE CLIMB STRAIGHT OUT UNTIL IT REACHED WHAT HE ESTIMATED TO BE 200 TO 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE THEN NOTICED THE AIRPLANE BEGIN A TURN TO THE LEFT, IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, AND SAW THE NOSE COME UP TO A HIGHER ATTITUDE. HE REMARKED TO A FRIEND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO STALL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE SNAP TO THE LEFT, GO STRAIGHT DOWN WITH THE LEFT WING SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE RIGHT, AND DISAPPEAR BEHIND THE TREES. A SECOND WITNESS, WHO IS A CERTIFICATED PILOT, HAD HIS BACK TO THE RUNWAY AND WAS CONVERSING WITH THE FIRST WITNESS. HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE CLIMBING BEHIND HIM AND TURNED AROUND TO LOOK AT IT. HE SAID THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED PERFECTLY NORMAL, LIKE ANY OTHER CESSNA 150 ON TAKEOFF, BUT HE NOTED THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULL DOWN. HE TURNED AROUND TO SPEAK TO THE FIRST WITNESS, WHO THEN REMARKED, "IT'S GOING TO STALL." WHEN HE TURNED AROUND TO LOOK, THE AIRPLANE HAD DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED THAT THE FLAP ACTUATOR JACKSCREW MEASURED 5.9 INCHES EXTENSION. ACCORDING TO CESSNA AIRCRAFT, THIS DIMENSION CORRESPONDS TO A FLAP EXTENSION OF 40 DEGREES. ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE FLAP CIRCUIT. INTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT FLAP CONTROL SWITCH REVEALED THAT THE DETENTS WERE UNREMARKABLE. ELECTRICAL POWER WAS SUPPLIED TO THE FLAP MOTOR AND IT FUNCTIONED IN BOTH THE EXTENSION AND RETRACTION DIRECTIONS. THE STUDENT HAD A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 38.5 HOURS, ALL OF WHICH WERE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. SHE HAD ACCOMPLISHED HER FIRST SOLO FLIGHT ON FEBRUARY 17, 2001, AND HAD SUBSEQUENTLY LOGGED 5.4 HOURS OF SOLO FLIGHT TIME PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT HAD BEEN ON MAY 29, 2001, AND WAS A DUAL LESSON FROM THE VISALIA AIRPORT TO MEFFORD FIELD AND RETURN TO VISALIA. THE STUDENT HAD A LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT FROM A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFYING PROFICIENCY IN TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT VISALIA AND MEFFORD FIELD DATED MAY 17, 2001. (-23)^PRIVACY DAT^ WAS A STUDENT PILOT WITH ONLY 4.4 HOURS OF SOLO TIME AND 43 HOURS DUAL. SHE WAS CONDUCTING A SOLO FLIGHT FROM CISALIA, CA TO TULARE CALIFORNIA AND WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT THE TULARE AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT SHE MADE A TAKEOFF IN THE CESSNA 150 WITH FULL FLAPS. PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN AT TH SCENE INDICATE UPON IMPACT THE FLAPS WERE FULLY DEPLOYED. THE IMPACT SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 31 AT TULARE IN A FARM EQUIPMENT YARD. SITE INVESTIGATION INDIC TES THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH FULL POWER ON AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 60 TO 70 DEGREES ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT HAD TURNED ABOUT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 31. THERE WAS NO FIRE, HOWEVER, THERE WAS OVER 8 GALS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE INJURIES TO THE PILOT WERE FATAL. REVEIW OF THE STUDENTS LOG BOOK AND CERTIFICATE INDICATE, PRELIMINARILY, THAT ^PRIVACY DAT^ WAS PROPERLY ENDORSED FOR THE SOLO FLIGHT TO TULARE. (.4) ON JUNE 3, 2001, AT 1000 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150L, N10531, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A FARM EQUIPMENT YARD SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM MEFFORD FIELD (TLR), TULARE, CALIFORNIA. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY ANTHONY P. SARIO, AND RENTED BY THE STUDENT FOR THE LOCAL SOLO PRACTICE FLIGHT, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED VISALIA, CALIFORNIA, APPROXIMATELY 0945 FOR THE 10-MILE FLIGHT TO MEFFORD FIELD. THE STUDENT WAS GOING TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A WITNESS WAS AT THE FARM EXPOSITION GROUNDS, LOCATED ADJACENT TO, AND AT THE DEPARTURE END, OF RUNWAY 31 AT MEFFORD FIELD. HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN REMOTE CONTROL (R.C.) AIRPLANE FLYING AT A RUNWAY LOCATED ON THE GROUNDS. HE WITNESSED THE AIRPLANE AS IT WAS CLIMBING FROM A DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 31. HE NOTICED THAT THE WING FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THE FULL DOWN POSITION. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE CLIMB STRAIGHT OUT UNTIL IT REACHED WHAT HE ESTIMATED TO BE 200 TO 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE THEN NOTICED THE AIRPLANE BEGIN A TURN TO THE LEFT, IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, AND SAW THE NOSE COME UP TO A HIGHER ATTITUDE. HE REMARKED TO A FRIEND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO STALL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE SNAP TO THE LEFT, MAKE ONE COMPLETE ROTATION TO THE LEFT, WITH THE LEFT WING SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE RIGHT, AND DISAPPEAR BEHIND SOME BUILDINGS. A SECOND WITNESS, WHO IS A CERTIFICATED PILOT, WAS CONVERSING WITH THE FIRST WITNESS. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULL DOWN. HE TURNED AROUND TO SPEAK TO THE FIRST WITNESS, WHO THEN REMARKED, "IT'S GOING TO STALL." WHEN HE TURNED BACK TO LOOK, THE AIRPLANE HAD DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE BUILDINGS. ## 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 LAX01FA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA198), Jun 3, 2001: Cessna 150L (N10531), Tulare, CA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The student's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the crosswind climb that resulted in a stall/spin at low altitude and the airplane's subsequent ground impact. A factor was the student's… ## Other reports on N10531 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19790607034649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790607034649A), Jun 7, 1979: Cessna 150 (N10531), Reedley, CA, Substantial damage. Student pilot lost directional control of acft during t/off roll. Veered off rwy. Hit ditch, flipped over. - [Accident 19740502010299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740502010299A), May 2, 1974: Cessna 150L (N10531), Fresno, CA, Substantial damage. Plt lnd fast & tried to force acft on grnd. 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.