# Accident 20210724011789A: Cessna 150F, Rock Falls, IL, July 24, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 24, 2021, 17:47 local time - Place: Rock Falls, IL - Airport: Whiteside County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.7399° N, 89.6815° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7399&lon=-89.6815&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7893F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7893F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 150F (registry code 2071814, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150F - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA335) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210724011789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WHEN: 07/24/2021 17:47 LOCAL 22:47 ZULU. WHERE: CORNFIELD APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET S. OF THOME ROAD, THE SOUTHERN AIRPORT BOUNDARY AT SQI WHAT: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRSHOW HAD CONCLUDED AND AN ATP RATED PILOT, AND FOUNDER OF THE AIRSHOW WAS ADMIRING A 1966 CESSNA 150F, N7893F, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PRIVATE PILOT AGREED TO TAKE IT UP FOR A FLIGHT.THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED VMC. THE NEAREST AWOS REPORTED WESTERLY WINDS AT 13 KNOTS CLEAR SKIES, APPROXIMATELY 91 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES. DENSITY ALTITUDE EQUATED TO 2889 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL. THE FULL FUEL PAYLOAD AVAILABLE WAS 303 POUNDS. WITH 2 INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD THE FLIGHT WAS OVER 100 POUNDS ABOVE THE MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF 1,600 POUNDS, AND FORWARD OF CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS. PERFORMANCE IS NOT ABLE TO BE EXACTLY ASCERTAINED AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED ABOVE MTOW BUT LANDING GROUND ROLL DISTANCE WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF 630 FEET. THE ATP RATED PILOT FLEW FROM THE RIGHT SEAT WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT, IN THE LEFT SEAT. IN THE DOWNWIND THE ATP RATED PILOT ASKED FOR THE CONTROLS AND ACCEPTED COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE ATP RATED PILOT TOLD HIM HE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE SHORT TAKEOFF AND LANDING (STOL) FIELD THAT THE ATP RATED PILOT HAD BUILT FOR THE AIRSHOW AND PROCEEDED TO PERFORM A LOW APPROACH. THE STOL FIELD WAS OUTLINED IN PARKING CONES NORTH OF THE PAVED RUNWAY 7-25, WEST OF THE INTERSECTION WITH RUNWAY 18-36. THE TEMPORARY STOL FIELD STARTED APPROXIMATELY 5,500 FEET WEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 25. RUNWAY 25 IS 6,499 FEET LONG BY 150 WIDE, AND THE STOL RUNWAY WAS APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET LONG, AND ENDED WITH A RISE TO A CONCRETE TARMAC. THE ATP RATED PILOT SET UP FOR A SHORT FIELD LANDING AND SELECTED FULL FLAPS. THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO PERFORM A GO AROUND FROM A REPORTED 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE PILOT SELECTED FULL POWER, AND FLAPS UP FOR THE GO-AROUND BUT THE FLAPS WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE OWNER BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THE FLAPS AS THE ATP RATED PILOT CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE 2 PILOTS WORKED THE PROBLEM THEY ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB AND BYPASSED THE STOL FIELD AND WHAT REMAINED OF THE HARD SURFACE RUNWAY 25 AND GRASS OVER-RUN. THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB WITH THE COMBINATION OF HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AIRCRAFT WEIGHT, AND HIGH DRAG SCENARIO. THE ATP RATED PILOT NOTICED POWER LINES IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT, AND DECIDED A TURN WAS NEEDED. THE PILOT STARTED TO TURN TO THE SOUTH AND THE LOSS OF THE VERTICAL COMPONENT OF LIFT IN THE TURN CREATED A DESCENT.THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED THAT HE CHECKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND TRIED TO RETRACT FLAPS BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE THE LACK OF FLAP MOVEMENT.THE ATP RATED PILOT DECIDED TO LAND IN A CORN FIELD JUST SOUTH OF A ROAD. AS THE ATP RATED PILOT WAS REDUCING POWER THE OWNER SHUT OFF THE FUEL, TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL, AND OPENED HIS DOOR. THE AIRCRAFT REPORTEDLY ENTERED THE CORN JUST ABOVE A STALL, WITH THE STALL HORN REPORTEDLY SOUNDING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND FLIPPED ON THE NOSE AND ENDED UP INVERTED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES WITHOUT INJURY. NO POST-IMPACT FIRE. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ONCE THE BATTERY WAS RECONNECTED, WITHOUT BEING CHARGED, THE FLAPS WERE ABLE TO BE OPERATED NOMINALLY IN BOTH EXTENSION AND RETRACTION, AND IN VARIOUS POSITIONS. THE FLAPS ALSO WORKED NOMINALLY WHILE BEING OPERATED WHILE WIRES LEADING TO THE VARIOUS SWITCHES AND MOTORS WERE MANUALLY MANIPULATED.THE FLAP HANDLE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE A 12 VOLT POWER RECEPTACLE, WHICH HAD A USB CHARGER CONNECTED, THE CHARGER WAS OF SIMILAR COLOR AND SHAPE TO THE FLAP HANDLE, AND COULD BE MANIPULATED UP AND DOWN SIMILAR TO THE FLAP HANDLE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE DAMAGE PLASTIC USB CHARGER, THE OWNER REPORTED THAT HE WAS SURE THAT HE WAS MANIPULATING THE FLAP HANDLE AND NOT THE USB CHARGER, AND THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE PLASTIC CHARGER MUST HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. ## 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 CEN21LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA335), Jul 24, 2021: Cessna 150F (N7893F), Rock Falls, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The right seat pilot’s improper decision to perform a low approach with full flaps and the failure of the flaps to retract during the attempted go-around, which resulted in a forced landing. ## Other reports on N7893F (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20070405004289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070405004289A), Apr 5, 2007: Cessna 150F (N7893F), Grain Valley, MO, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated he departed the east Kansas city airport, Grain Valley, Missouri airport approximately 1115 CDT, after about a one hour flight, he returned… 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.