# Incident 20160118000229I: Cessna A150M, Council Bluffs, IA, January 18, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 18, 2016, 10:52 local time
- Place: Council Bluffs, IA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: PHKS
- Location: 41.2619° N, 95.8608° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Council Bluffs, IA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2619&lon=-95.8608&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9851J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9851J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna A150M (registry code 2071831, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a150m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA A150M
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 588 total, 250 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160118000229I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

N9851J A CE-150M EXPERIENCED ENGINE TROUBLE ENROUTE TO KLNK FROM KCBF DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT CONDUCTED BY A 141 FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOL.

A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED WITH NO IRREGULARITIES. THE OIL QUANTITY READ 5 QUARTS ON THE DIPSTICK.

AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRBORNE THE AIRCREW HAD A HARD TIME GAINING ALTITUDE AS THEY TURNED TO HEAD TOWARDS KLNK. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (IP) NOTICED A SLIGHT ENGINE MIS-FIRE AND TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR (CARB) HEAT. AFTER 3-5 FIVE MINUTES WITH NO CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE THE CARB HEAT WAS TURNED OFF.

WITH THE THROTTLE AT FULL POWER THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY ABLE TO PRODUCE 60-65 KNOTS AT 2000 RPM. THE IP MADE THE DECISION TO TURN BACK AND TRY TO LAND AT KCBF.

A FEW MINUTES AFTER TURNING SOUTH, BACK TOWARDS KCBF, THE AIRCREW EXPERIENCED EXTREME ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND OPTED TO TRY AND LAND AT OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE (KOFF). AS THEY TURNED TO APPROACH KOFF THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD DIRECTLY BELOW THEM.

THE AIRCREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO OMAHA APPROACH AND WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT HARM TO THEMSELVES OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE BEAN FIELD, THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE (DOM) FOR THE FLIGHT SCHOOL PERFORMED AN AIRCRAFT INSPECTION.  HE STATED THE OIL DIPSTICK WAS DRY AND THE AIRCRAFT BELLY WAS COATED WITH OIL.

THE CAUSE OF ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF OIL. THERE IS NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CASE OR CYLINDERS.

THE DOM CONCLUDED THE OIL WAS PUMPED OVERBOARD THROUGH THE VENT TUBE DUE TO A BLOCKAGE IN THE INVERTED OIL FILTRATION SYSTEM. THE BLOCKAGE WAS CAUSED BY INTERNAL ENGINE MOISTURE THAT EVENTUALLY FROZE DUE TO THE LOW ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE.

## Other reports on N9851J (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20170616013319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170616013319I), Jun 16, 2017: Cessna A150M (N9851J), Tecumseh, NE, Minor damage. On June 16, 2017 at approximately 10:00 CST, N9851J, Cessna A150M, s/n - A1500660, lost engine power on final approach resulting in aircraft landing short of…

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.