- Date
- July 20, 1991, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belhaven, NC
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N51361Cessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910720028829A
- Case key
- 8439
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 poor in flight planning by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were the failure of the pilot to compensate for the tail wind, maintain airspeed, and maintain clearance from the trees.
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
The pilot stated that he was attempting a go around following a low approach to the short, sod field. He initially stated that he did not believe there were any problems with the aircraft and later stated that he could not remember anything after entering the downwind leg. The temperature in the area at the time was approximately 90 degrees. The pilot made the approach to the north with an approximate 10-knot tail wind. A witness located on the northeast end of the runway stated the aircraft was at about 50 feet above ground level as it passed her position. The trees on the north end of the runway are approximately 100 feet tall. Inspection of the aircraft and engine revealed no malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51361
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069950
- Airframe hours
- 2,723
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Morris,James M
- Registered owner
- Flight Line Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1991 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- ECG · Elizabeth City, NC
- Airport
- O5W · Riverside, runway 5, 1,752 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 146 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWN, 41 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.
Other investigations on N51361 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.