ANC07LA028

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150 · Willow, AK · April 6, 2007

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 6, 2007, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Willow, AK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Taxi
Aircraft
N6363GCessna 150
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 27, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Anchorage FSDO-03
FAA report
20070406008179A
Case key
65556

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while taxiing, which resulted in the airplane contacting a snow berm and nosing down. Factors associated with the accident were the snow and ice covered runway, and excessive taxispeed.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterTaxi - from landing
Terrain condition - runway
Terrain condition - icyFactor
Taxispeed - excessivePilot in commandFactor
Terrain condition - snow coveredFactor
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterTaxi - from landing
Terrain condition - berm
Nose downTaxi - from landing

Analysis

The solo student pilot had just completed three full-stop landings under Title 14, CFR Part 91, and was taxiing to the ramp to pick up his instructor when he lost directional control of the airplane. He reported that he applied too much power, and was taxiing too fast on the ice and snow covered runway. He said when he tried to turn toward the ramp the airplane started to slide to the left, and his attempt to control the airplane failed. He reported that the airplane contacted a snow berm, and the airplane nosed down, sustaining damage to both wings and the fuselage.

Factual narrative

On April 6, 2007, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped, Cessna 150 airplane, N6363G, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a snow berm following a loss of control while taxiing from landing at the Willow Airport, Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the student pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) supervised solo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 10, the student pilot said he had completed three supervised solo landings, and was taxiing to the ramp to pickup his instructor. He said the runway and taxiway were covered with hard packed snow and ice, and that he was taxiing too fast. The airplane veered to the left, and he applied right rudder and pulled the power off. He reported the airplane rotated to the right, striking the left wing on the ground, and then rotated again, striking the right wing. He said the airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck a snow berm, and nosed down.

On April 10, during a telephone conversation with the IIC, the flight instructor said after making three solo landings, the student applied too much power while taxiing to the ramp, and lost directional control. The instructor said the runway was covered with hard packed snow and ice, the temperature was about 32 degrees F, visibility was greater than 20 miles, and the wind was calm.

Aircraft

Registration
N6363G
Reported as
Cessna 150
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15071863
Airframe hours
3,920
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Robert Bernowski
Registered owner
Paul Huppert
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · September 1, 2006
Departed
PAUO · Willow, AK
Airport
UUO · Willow, runway 31, 4,400 × 75 ft, gravel

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Student pilot
Age
30
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
12 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
20 statute miles
Temperature
32 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.