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20110726019769A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150F · Harbor Beach, MI · July 26, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 26, 2011 · 16:46 local
Place
Harbor Beach, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3050X
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11CA516
Reported as
Cessna 150F
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
100 total100 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N3050XRegistration cancelled Nov 25, 2014 · Cessna 150FS/N 15064450 · Built 1966Airframe modelCessna 150FEngine modelContinental 0-200 seriesReciprocating

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.

A Cessna 150F, N3050X, departed gouverneur, NY – NY16 (private grass airport) at approximately 16:40Z (12:40 pm local) for bad axe, MI (kbax) for a planned fuel stop. The ultimate destination was eau claire, WI (keau). The flight was a private flight with one occupant, the pilot. The aircraft was in cruise flight for 4 hours and 6 minutes at an altitude of 3,000 feet MSL. At approximately 20:46Z (4:46 pm local) a distress call to flight service was made reporting engine trouble at 100 feet and the aircraft was going into lake huron 17 miles east of Harbor Beach, MI (29 NM east of the bad axe bax VOR) in approximately 200 to 300 feet of water. The pilot reported that the engine had gone to an uncommanded rough idle when it lost power for unknown reasons. The pilot indicated that he felt that he was experiencing carburetor icing. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time with surface temperatures of approximately 83 degrees f. the aircraft landed in the water and became inverted. The pilot was able to egress the aircraft without injury. The aircraft immediately sank in what is estimated to be 280 feet of water. The pilot was rescued by individuals boating on a private vessel at approximately 10 am the day after the accident. The pilot was treated at a local hospital for exposure end exhaustion and was later released. The aircraft was manufactured with fuel tanks that enabled 38 gallons of usable fuel. The pilot reported fueling last before the accident on June 19, 2011 at the potsdam, NY airport via self-serve fuel station. This was verified with the airport manager. The aircraft purchased 24 gallons of fuel on June 19, 2011 at the potsdam airport in potsdam, NY.the last annual inspection was reported to have been completed in April 2011 with approximately 3,800 total airframe hours. The aircraft has not been recovered and all aircraft and pilot records were reported to have been lost with the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

A CESSNA 150F, N3050X, DEPARTED GOUVERNEUR, NY – NY16 (PRIVATE GRASS AIRPORT) AT APPROXIMATELY 16:40Z (12:40 PM LOCAL) FOR BAD AXE, MI (KBAX) FOR A PLANNED FUEL STOP. THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION WAS EAU CLAIRE, WI (KEAU). THE FLIGHT WAS A PRIVATE FLIGHT WITH ONE OCCUPANT, THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT FOR 4 HOURS AND 6 MINUTES AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET MSL. AT APPROXIMATELY 20:46Z (4:46 PM LOCAL) A DISTRESS CALL TO FLIGHT SERVICE WAS MADE REPORTING ENGINE TROUBLE AT 100 FEET AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING INTO LAKE HURON 17 MILES EAST OF HARBOR BEACH, MI (29 NM EAST OF THE BAD AXE BAX VOR) IN APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET OF WATER.THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD GONE TO AN UNCOMMANDED ROUGH IDLE WHEN IT LOST POWER FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE FELT THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING CARBURETOR ICING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES OF APPROXIMATELY 83 DEGREES F. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE WATER AND BECAME INVERTED. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY SANK IN WHAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE 280 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY INDIVIDUALS BOATING ON A PRIVATE VESSEL AT APPROXIMATELY 10 AM THE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS TREATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR EXPOSURE END EXHAUSTION AND WAS LATER RELEASED.THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANUFACTURED WITH FUEL TANKS THAT ENABLED 38 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL. THE PILOT REPORTED FUELING LAST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT ON JUNE 19, 2011 AT THE POTSDAM, NY AIRPORT VIA SELF-SERVE FUEL STATION. THIS WAS VERIFIED WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER. THE AIRCRAFT PURCHASED 24 GALLONS OF FUEL ON JUNE 19, 2011 AT THE POTSDAM AIRPORT IN POTSDAM, NY.THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IN APRIL 2011 WITH APPROXIMATELY 3,800 TOTAL AIRFRAME HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED AND ALL AIRCRAFT AND PILOT RECORDS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN LOST WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN11CA516Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportHarbor Beach, MIThe pilot's delay in using carburetor heat while operating in carburetor icing conditions, resulting in carburetor ice and subsequent partial loss of engine power.Jul 26, 2011 · Substantial damage