- Date
- March 16, 2019, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7095SCessna 150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA, Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20190316000499A
- Case key
- 99129
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of pitch control for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a collision with terrain during an emergency landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that she initiated the takeoff at the beginning of the runway to use all 3,500 ft of available runway. She added that the flight controls were free and correct and that she applied power with the control yoke full aft for a "soft field" takeoff. The airplane "seemed" to become airborne earlier than normal, and during the initial climb, the nose of the airplane wanted to pitch up slightly. She applied "some" nose-down trim and pushed the yoke forward "slightly," and the airplane continued to climb. As the airspeed increased, the airplane's pitch attitude increased; she then applied full nose-down trim and full forward yoke and asked for help from her student. She then reduced the engine power to idle, performed an emergency landing, and the airplane came to rest in the trees. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
On March 16, 2019, about 1530 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150H airplane, N7095S, impacted trees while performing an emergency landing after takeoff at Talkeetna Airport (TKA), Talkeetna, Alaska. The certified flight instructor and one student sustained no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a visual flight rules instructional flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from TKA, about 1530. During discussion with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to provide an introductory flight lesson to a prospective new student. She added that she was in the right seat, and the student was in the left seat at the time of the accident. Prior to departure she checked the movement of the flight controls and stated that they "were free and correct". The flight instructor said that during the first takeoff run, condensation formed on the airplane's windscreen, so she aborted the takeoff and taxied back to the end of Runway 1 for a second attempt, using all 3,500 feet of available runway. During the second takeoff attempt, she applied power with the control yoke full aft for a "soft field" takeoff. The airplane "seemed" to become airborne earlier than normal, and during the initial climb out, the nose of the airplane wanted to pitch up slightly. She applied "some" nose down trim, and pushed the yoke forward "slightly", and the airplane continued to climb. As the airspeed increased the pitch up attitude increased, she then applied full nose down trim and full forward yoke and asked for help from her student. The flight instructor added, she observed the tree line ahead, and unable to correct the nose high attitude of the airplane, reduced the engine power to idle and selected an area of tree covered terrain as an emergency landing site. The airplane subsequently settled into the trees and came to rest near a road. The occupants were able to egress without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that during the accident flight, they had about 20 lbs. of equipment in the back seat/storage area, including an engine cover, sleeping bag, stove, and winter gear. A postaccident examination of the airplane by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor further reported that there were no mechanical issues with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7095S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067795
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 6,391.6
- Engine
- Continental O-200A-14, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2018
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Airport
- TKA · Talkeetna, runway 01, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 50 in this make and model · 874 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.29 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 1 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 23, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.