20121104024939A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 150F · Gothenburg, NE · November 4, 2012

Date
November 4, 2012 · 10:32 local
Place
Gothenburg, NE
Airport
Quinn Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8375G
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13FA045
Reported as
Cessna 150F
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
14 total14 in this make and model14 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.

On November 4, 2012, Cessna 150F, N8375G, impacted terrain on final approach to the grass runway 32 at Quinn Field Airport (gte), Gothenburg, Nebraska at about 1030 CST. The student pilot, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operated as an instructional flight. VMC conditions prevailed for the flight. The flight originated from gte at about 1000 as a local training flight and was not on a flight plan. The student pilot had been endorsed for his first solo flight November 3rd. He was making his 5th solo landing attempt when the accident occurred. The student pilot has 13.7 hrs. Total flight time recorded in his pilots log. The student pilot's flight bag was found on the aircraft which contained his student pilot certificate and his special issuance medical paperwork. The aircraft impacted the ground in a mowed grass area approximately 50 yards from the approach end of runway 32. Initial ground scar made by the propeller was about 3 feet from the main ground scar. The main scar was approximately 3 ft. 6 in. Wide and 14 ft long. The aircraft came to a rest inverted about 8 ft. from the end of the main ground scar. The aircraft was aligned with the center of runway 32. The nose landing gear had separated from the aircraft and was located approximately 15 ft. to the right of the debris path as viewed from the 32 approach. The empennage was bent downward and had torn open. The cowling and motor mount were crushed upwards at the angle in which the aircraft struck the ground (approximately 45 degrees). Flap actuator extension was measured and confirmed to be approximately 30 degrees by the Cessna representative. Damage to the flight control systems was consistent with the impact damage. Controls were locked into place by impact and control continuity was verified by tracing the cable systems through the aircraft. The fuselage and wings remained intact. All flight controls remained attached and moveable. A portion of the left control wheel was broken off. On November, 6th 2012 the NTSB investigator with representatives of Continental motors inc. preformed and examination of the engine and fuel systems, FAA investigator was not present. The NTSB and Continental motors investigators could find no abnormalities with the engine, engine controls or fuel system. Interviews with the student pilot's flight instructors were conducted.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 4, 2012, CESSNA 150F, N8375G, IMPACTED TERRAIN ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE GRASS RUNWAY 32 AT QUINN FIELD AIRPORT (GTE), GOTHENBURG, NEBRASKA AT ABOUT 1030 CST. THE STUDENT PILOT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GTE AT ABOUT 1000 AS A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD BEEN ENDORSED FOR HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT NOVEMBER 3RD. HE WAS MAKING HIS 5TH SOLO LANDING ATTEMPT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE STUDENT PILOT HAS 13.7 HRS. TOTAL FLIGHT TIME RECORDED IN HIS PILOTS LOG. THE STUDENT PILOT'S FLIGHT BAG WAS FOUND ON THE AIRCRAFT WHICH CONTAINED HIS STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND HIS SPECIAL ISSUANCE MEDICAL PAPERWORK. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A MOWED GRASS AREA APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 32. INITIAL GROUND SCAR MADE BY THE PROPELLER WAS ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE MAIN GROUND SCAR. THE MAIN SCAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 FT. 6 IN. WIDE AND 14 FT LONG. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST INVERTED ABOUT 8 FT. FROM THE END OF THE MAIN GROUND SCAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER OF RUNWAY 32. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 15 FT. TO THE RIGHT OF THE DEBRIS PATH AS VIEWED FROM THE 32 APPROACH. THE EMPENNAGE WAS BENT DOWNWARD AND HAD TORN OPEN. THE COWLING AND MOTOR MOUNT WERE CRUSHED UPWARDS AT THE ANGLE IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND (APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES). FLAP ACTUATOR EXTENSION WAS MEASURED AND CONFIRMED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES BY THE CESSNA REPRESENTATIVE. DAMAGE TO THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE IMPACT DAMAGE. CONTROLS WERE LOCKED INTO PLACE BY IMPACT AND CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED BY TRACING THE CABLE SYSTEMS THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS REMAINED INTACT. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS REMAINED ATTACHED AND MOVEABLE. A PORTION OF THE LEFT CONTROL WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF. ON NOVEMBER, 6TH 2012 THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF CONTINENTAL MOTORS INC. PREFORMED AND EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEMS, FAA INVESTIGATOR WAS NOT PRESENT. THE NTSB AND CONTINENTAL MOTORS INVESTIGATORS COULD FIND NO ABNORMALITIES WITH THE ENGINE, ENGINE CONTROLS OR FUEL SYSTEM.INTERVIEWS WITH THE STUDENT PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS WERE CONDUCTED.

NTSB investigation

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