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20230823012149A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150G · Pink Hill, NC · August 23, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 23, 2023 · 17:30 local
Place
Pink Hill, NC
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8474J
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA348
Reported as
Cessna 150G
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
165 total1 in the last 90 days
N8474JRegistered now · Cessna 150GS/N 15066374Airframe modelCessna 150GEngine 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.

While conducting a maintenance test flight the pilot in command stated: "as we approached the west end of the field at about tree top level, we encountered a downdraft that pushed us lower than I was anticipating, landed short of the airfield and hit the lip of the irrigation ditch and flipped the aircraft."

Both the pilot and passenger sustained some scratches and bruises but were otherwise uninjured. The aircraft was inverted, facing west, there was a furrow in the ground extending from the edge of the ditch to aircraft created from the propeller and nose gear dragging the ground.

Investigation revealed that there are no maintenance issues with the aircraft at this time. In my opinion the probable cause of the accident was pilot error due to the pilot not being proficient in the aircraft. The review of the pilot in command's pilot flight logbook shows that his last biannual flight review per 14 CFR 61.56(c)(1&2) was July 20, 1993. The pilot in command logged 1 hour of flight time on July 15, 2023, and 0.7 hours of flight time on July 23, 2023. There has been a 30-year gap since the last biannual flight review for the pilot in command.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED: "AS WE APPROACHED THE WEST END OF THE FIELD AT ABOUT TREE TOP LEVEL, WE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT THAT PUSHED US LOWER THAN I WAS ANTICIPATING, LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRFIELD AND HIT THE LIP OF THE IRRIGATION DITCH AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT."

BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED SOME SCRATCHES AND BRUISES BUT WERE OTHERWISE UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED, FACING WEST, THERE WAS A FURROW IN THE GROUND EXTENDING FROM THE EDGE OF THE DITCH TO AIRCRAFT CREATED FROM THE PROPELLER AND NOSE GEAR DRAGGING THE GROUND.

INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE ARE NO MAINTENANCE ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME. IN MY OPINION THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT ERROR DUE TO THE PILOT NOT BEING PROFICIENT IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE REVIEW OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S PILOT FLIGHT LOGBOOK SHOWS THAT HIS LAST BIANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW PER 14 CFR 61.56(C)(1&2) WAS JULY 20, 1993. THE PILOT IN COMMAND LOGGED 1 HOUR OF FLIGHT TIME ON JULY 15, 2023, AND 0.7 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME ON JULY 23, 2023. THERE HAS BEEN A 30-YEAR GAP SINCE THE LAST BIANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW FOR THE PILOT IN COMMAND.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ERA23LA348Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPink Hill, NCThe pilot’s inadequate compensation for prevailing wind conditions during the landing approach, which resulted in the airplane contacting the ground short of the runway.Aug 23, 2023 · Substantial damage