20230218005299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 150L · Venus, TX · February 18, 2023

Date
February 18, 2023 · 11:00 local
Place
Venus, TX
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6536G
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA114
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
310 total

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.

Interview of CFI indicated that the engine lost power while recovering from a power off stall maneuver as the throttle was advanced forward. No previous issues had been noted prior to the maneuver or during the previous flight. CFI indicated that prior to the maneuver the carb heat was on and the throttle was reduced to idle. During the recovery carb heat was placed off with full throttle applied and after initially having power for 1-3 seconds the engine went in and out before finally quitting. CFI stated oil pressure gauge showed zero but no excess oil temperature indication was observed. Three attempts were made to restart the engine including two normal and one flooded engine technique. A fourth attempt was made but there was not enough power to rotate the engine. CFI initially planned to land at tsa airport (pvt) and stated he reviewed the emergency landing checklists and declared an emergency. While turning final he stated the airspeed indicator became stuck momentarily at 30-40KTS but after turning rapidly increased to 65KTS. Upon realizing that he was too high and out of concern for surrounding residential property the CFI stated he elected to land in a field perpendicular to the runway. The aircraft touched down in the field approximately 1,800' from and perpendicular to the runway. Based on markings in the dirt the nose contacted the ground approximately 30' after main tire touchdown and then the aircraft flipped upside down and came to rest approximately 100' after initial touchdown. On scene investigation noted propeller was not bent indicating engine was not rotating on impact. Oil was noted just above 5QTS with more than 5 gallons of fuel drained from the wings and also observed in the fuel strainer bowl. Wreckage was recovered to flight school hangar where a general visual inspection of the engine showed no obvious issues. Review of maintenance records noted an overhauled carburetor had been installed 4.6 hours prior to the accident and all required inspections had been performed. NTSB iic indicated there would be coordination with a mechanic for further evaluation. Cause of power loss undetermined at this time. If deficiencies discovered this report will be reopened and amended.

As the FAA filed it

INTERVIEW OF CFI INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE RECOVERING FROM A POWER OFF STALL MANEUVER AS THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED FORWARD. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES HAD BEEN NOTED PRIOR TO THE MANEUVER OR DURING THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT. CFI INDICATED THAT PRIOR TO THE MANEUVER THE CARB HEAT WAS ON AND THE THROTTLE WAS REDUCED TO IDLE. DURING THE RECOVERY CARB HEAT WAS PLACED OFF WITH FULL THROTTLE APPLIED AND AFTER INITIALLY HAVING POWER FOR 1-3 SECONDS THE ENGINE WENT IN AND OUT BEFORE FINALLY QUITTING. CFI STATED OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SHOWED ZERO BUT NO EXCESS OIL TEMPERATURE INDICATION WAS OBSERVED. THREE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE INCLUDING TWO NORMAL AND ONE FLOODED ENGINE TECHNIQUE. A FOURTH ATTEMPT WAS MADE BUT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH POWER TO ROTATE THE ENGINE. CFI INITIALLY PLANNED TO LAND AT TSA AIRPORT (PVT) AND STATED HE REVIEWED THE EMERGENCY LANDING CHECKLISTS AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. WHILE TURNING FINAL HE STATED THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR BECAME STUCK MOMENTARILY AT 30-40KTS BUT AFTER TURNING RAPIDLY INCREASED TO 65KTS. UPON REALIZING THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND OUT OF CONCERN FOR SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY THE CFI STATED HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1,800' FROM AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. BASED ON MARKINGS IN THE DIRT THE NOSE CONTACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 30' AFTER MAIN TIRE TOUCHDOWN AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100' AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION NOTED PROPELLER WAS NOT BENT INDICATING ENGINE WAS NOT ROTATING ON IMPACT. OIL WAS NOTED JUST ABOVE 5QTS WITH MORE THAN 5 GALLONS OF FUEL DRAINED FROM THE WINGS AND ALSO OBSERVED IN THE FUEL STRAINER BOWL. WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED TO FLIGHT SCHOOL HANGAR WHERE A GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED NO OBVIOUS ISSUES. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS NOTED AN OVERHAULED CARBURETOR HAD BEEN INSTALLED 4.6 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NTSB IIC INDICATED THERE WOULD BE COORDINATION WITH A MECHANIC FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. CAUSE OF POWER LOSS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. IF DEFICIENCIES DISCOVERED THIS REPORT WILL BE REOPENED AND AMENDED.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N6536G · 1

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