- Date
- November 3, 1992, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3144XCessna 150G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19921103044799A
- Case key
- 5849
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
The pilot in command's (CFI) in flight planning/decision to attempt a down wind forced landing in high surface wind conditions and the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat.
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.
Analysis
A student pilot under dual instruction and instructor on a cross country flight completed a cruise descent with low engine power and developed a rough running engine. The instructor took control and efforts to regain power with carburetor heat and full throttle were ineffective. Attempts to position for an emergency landing at a blm strip were not successful due to high winds. An alternate landing area was selected on a dry river bed, however, the decision to turn into the wind was not made until approximately 200 foot AGL, too late to avoid a tailwind landing. During the tailwind landing the airplane's nose wheel was destroyed on initial impact and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3144X
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15064544
- Airframe hours
- 2,280
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald K. Sparks, doing business as Sparks Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Donald K. Sparks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 28, 1992 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- TOK · Tok, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 770 total · 660 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 28 knots, gusting 38
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIG, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.