# Accident 20230111000439A: Cessna 150H, Auburn, NE, January 11, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 11, 2023, 19:24 local time
- Place: Auburn, NE
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.3617° N, 95.7798° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3617&lon=-95.7798&mi=10
- Aircraft: N22859, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N22859-2023-10-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150H (registry code 2071818, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150h) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150H
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 553 total, 99 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230111000439A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN23FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA077), Jan 12, 2023: Cessna 150H (N22859), Auburn, NE, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s failure to maintain control after a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing while maneuvering for forced landing in dark night visual meteorological conditions.

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.