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20191204016969I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 150L · Poplar Bluff, MO · December 4, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 4, 2019 · 11:10 local
Place
Poplar Bluff, MO
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N148MA
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,143 total145 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N148MARegistration cancelled Jan 17, 2020 · Cessna 150LS/N 15072811 · Built 1971Airframe modelCessna 150LEngine 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.

On December 4th 2019 the aircraft (N148MA) departed Poplar Bluff, MO (kpof) at approximately 1100HRS local time in route to branson, MO (kplk). Once the aircraft lifted off, the pilot began turning west. While climbing, he realized that the aircraft required additional force to keep from pitching up excessively. He attempted to remedy the excessive pitch using elevator trim but was unsuccessful as it seemed to have no effect. Knowing that there was a possible trim issue, the pilot turned back towards kpof. He then noted that the aircraft yoke, as well as the tail began to shake violently and the aircraft pitched nose down into a negative g decent. The pilot immediately reduced throttle and applied 20 degrees of flaps which slowed the rate of decent. He called UNICOM advising of the aircraft control issues and his intention to return to kpof. The aircraft then began shaking the yoke and tail sections again and again pitching nose down. The pilot applied 40 degrees flaps and recovered the aircraft approximately 100 feet above ground level. Given the low altitude and the possibility of losing control of the aircraft, the pilot decided to continue the decent and land in a plowed field 2 miles from the airport.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 4TH 2019 THE AIRCRAFT (N148MA) DEPARTED POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KPOF) AT APPROXIMATELY 1100HRS LOCAL TIME IN ROUTE TO BRANSON, MO (KPLK). ONCE THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF, THE PILOT BEGAN TURNING WEST. WHILE CLIMBING, HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRED ADDITIONAL FORCE TO KEEP FROM PITCHING UP EXCESSIVELY. HE ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE EXCESSIVE PITCH USING ELEVATOR TRIM BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AS IT SEEMED TO HAVE NO EFFECT. KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE TRIM ISSUE, THE PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARDS KPOF. HE THEN NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT YOKE, AS WELL AS THE TAIL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN INTO A NEGATIVE G DECENT. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THROTTLE AND APPLIED 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS WHICH SLOWED THE RATE OF DECENT. HE CALLED UNICOM ADVISING OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTROL ISSUES AND HIS INTENTION TO RETURN TO KPOF. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN SHAKING THE YOKE AND TAIL SECTIONS AGAIN AND AGAIN PITCHING NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT APPLIED 40 DEGREES FLAPS AND RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. GIVEN THE LOW ALTITUDE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE DECENT AND LAND IN A PLOWED FIELD 2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.