20230111000439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150H · Auburn, NE · January 11, 2023

Date
January 11, 2023 · 19:24 local
Place
Auburn, NE
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N22859
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23FA077
Reported as
Cessna 150H
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
553 total99 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.

The aircraft accident site was located approximately 1.2 nautical miles south of the runway 34 threshold of farington field airport (K01) near Auburn, NE. The aircraft came to rest generally upright, with the nose, wings, and fuselage resting atop the empennage, which was folded underneath.

The initial point of impact was approximately 135 feet to the northwest of the main aircraft wreckage. This initial impact included depressions in the soil for all three landing gear wheels, with the beginning of the nosewheel depression located slightly before the beginning of the main landing gear depressions. The main landing gear depressions were parallel to eachother, both at the same distance from the main aircraft wreckage, and appeared similar in depth. Approximately 25 feet beyond the initial impact, ground impact marks from both wing tips were observed. These impact markings were also parallel to eachother, both at the same distance from the main aircraft wreckage, and were similar in depth. The left wing cap remained attached to the wing structure, while the right wing cap was found resting approximately 45 feet beyond the right wing ground impact marking. The right cabin door as well as a communication antenna were located approximately 50 feet beyond the right wing cap. Dirt and ground debris was embedded on the upper surfaces of both wings. All components of the airplane were observed between the initial impact site and the main aircraft wreckage, with the exception of the nosewheel landing gear tire, which was found approximately 190 feet southeast of the main aircraft wreckage.

Flight control continuity was confirmed, and the wing flaps and wing flap actuator were observed in the retracted (0 degree) position. The fuel selector valve was observed in the “on” position. The throttle control lever was observed in a mid-position, between full forward and full aft, and was bent. The mixture control lever was observed near, but not at, the full forward (rich) position. The carburetor heat control lever was observed in the full forward (off) position, as was the cabin air control lever. The cabin heat control lever was observed in a mid-position and bent. Fuel samples were taken from both the left wing tank and the fuel strainer bowl. Visual inspection of the fuel samples showed no observable contaminants or water.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1.2 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY 34 THRESHOLD OF FARINGTON FIELD AIRPORT (K01) NEAR AUBURN, NE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST GENERALLY UPRIGHT, WITH THE NOSE, WINGS, AND FUSELAGE RESTING ATOP THE EMPENNAGE, WHICH WAS FOLDED UNDERNEATH.

THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS APPROXIMATELY 135 FEET TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THIS INITIAL IMPACT INCLUDED DEPRESSIONS IN THE SOIL FOR ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WHEELS, WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE NOSEWHEEL DEPRESSION LOCATED SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DEPRESSIONS. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DEPRESSIONS WERE PARALLEL TO EACHOTHER, BOTH AT THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, AND APPEARED SIMILAR IN DEPTH. APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET BEYOND THE INITIAL IMPACT, GROUND IMPACT MARKS FROM BOTH WING TIPS WERE OBSERVED. THESE IMPACT MARKINGS WERE ALSO PARALLEL TO EACHOTHER, BOTH AT THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, AND WERE SIMILAR IN DEPTH. THE LEFT WING CAP REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE WING STRUCTURE, WHILE THE RIGHT WING CAP WAS FOUND RESTING APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET BEYOND THE RIGHT WING GROUND IMPACT MARKING. THE RIGHT CABIN DOOR AS WELL AS A COMMUNICATION ANTENNA WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET BEYOND THE RIGHT WING CAP. DIRT AND GROUND DEBRIS WAS EMBEDDED ON THE UPPER SURFACES OF BOTH WINGS. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN THE INITIAL IMPACT SITE AND THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE NOSEWHEEL LANDING GEAR TIRE, WHICH WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 190 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE.

FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED, AND THE WING FLAPS AND WING FLAP ACTUATOR WERE OBSERVED IN THE RETRACTED (0 DEGREE) POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS OBSERVED IN THE “ON” POSITION. THE THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER WAS OBSERVED IN A MID-POSITION, BETWEEN FULL FORWARD AND FULL AFT, AND WAS BENT. THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER WAS OBSERVED NEAR, BUT NOT AT, THE FULL FORWARD (RICH) POSITION. THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL LEVER WAS OBSERVED IN THE FULL FORWARD (OFF) POSITION, AS WAS THE CABIN AIR CONTROL LEVER. THE CABIN HEAT CONTROL LEVER WAS OBSERVED IN A MID-POSITION AND BENT. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM BOTH THE LEFT WING TANK AND THE FUEL STRAINER BOWL. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SAMPLES SHOWED NO OBSERVABLE CONTAMINANTS OR WATER.

NTSB investigation

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