ATL02LA093

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150B · Enterprise, AL · April 26, 2002

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 26, 2002, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
Place
Enterprise, AL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N1299YCessna 150B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 15, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Brimingham FSDO
FAA report
20020426010339A
Case key
54597

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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an attempted go-around that resulted in an inadvertent stall and the subsequent collision with the ground.

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 - in flightGo-around (vfr)
Stall - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The pilot was conducting short field touch and go landings. During an approach to land, the pilot executed a go around. During the go-around the airplane banked hard to the left and stalled. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. No mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.

Factual narrative

On April 26, 2002, at 1330, central daylight time, a Cessna 150B, N1299Y, registered to a private owner, impacted the runway during a go-around, at Enterprise Municipal Airport, Enterprise, Alabama, while conducting traffic pattern work. The instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Commercial rated helicopter pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Enterprise, Alabama, at 1315.

According to the pilot, during his approach to land, he was about 15 feet above the ground, close to stall speed, when the left wing dropped. He then added full power for a go-around. During the go-around the airplane continued to bank left and pointed towards the trees. The pilot could not climb over the trees so he continued the left turn to avoid the trees. He attempted to land the airplane on grass adjacent to the runway. The front nose wheel impacted the ground, the propeller struck the ground with power, and the airplane ended up facing the southwest direction.

According to a witness, the pilot was conducting short field touch and go landings to runway 5. Before touchdown, during the approach, the pilot aborted the approach to land, and added full power for a go-around. The witness stated during the go-around the airplane banked hard to the left, stalled, impacted the runway and came rest approximately 200 feet to the right of runway 5. The pilot prior to the accident reported no mechanical malfunctions.

Examination of the airplane revealed, the airplane was to the left of runway 5, approximately 333 feet northwest of the runway going in the opposite direction. The nose wheel was separated from the airplane and came to rest in front of the airplane. The nose of the airplane was suspended off the ground by a tree limb. The nose wheel fork was bent aft almost to the fuselage. Both left and right wingtip caps were buckled.

Aircraft

Registration
N1299Y
Reported as
Cessna 150B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15059699
Engine
Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Bascom H Knight
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · January 17, 2002 · 38 hours before
Departed
EDN · Enterprise, AL
Airport
EDN · Enterprise Muni, runway 5, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt

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
27
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Instrument ratings
Helicopter
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
632 total · 12 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
60° at 5 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
25,000 ft broken
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
30.17 inHg
Observed at
OZR

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 17, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 659 KB 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.

Other investigations on N1299Y · 1

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