- Date
- May 15, 1993, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairmont, WV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N16224Cessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930515013839A
- Case key
- 11947
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
Failure of the pilots to properly clear the engine during the approach.
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 instructor (CFI) and student were practicing touch and go landings on runway 22. The CFI said the 1st 3 landings were successfull, but during the 3rd traffic pattern, the student had allowed the airplane to get too FAR out and too low. The CFI said the student then added too much power and turned onto final approach 'close to traffic pattern altitude . . .' Reportedly, power was reduced to idle and the 'final approach turned in to be a glide.' The CFI stated that carburetor heat was used during the approach. During takeoff, the carburetor heat was shut off and power was applied. However, at about 200 ft AGL, the engine lost power. The CFI took control of the airplane and tried to return on runway 4, but due to inadequate altitude, he was unable to attempt any restart procedures. He elected to land on the northbound lane of interstate 79. During the forced landing, the airplane's right wing and stabilizer struck a guard rail and was damaged. An exam of the airplane revealed 5.3 gal of auto fuel and no evidence of a mechanical failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16224
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15073556
- Airframe hours
- 6,388
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Marvin Franks
- Registered owner
- Marvin Franks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 15, 1993 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- 4G7
- Destination
- 4G7
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Foreign, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 864 total · 577 in this make and model · 760 as pilot in command · 207 in the last 90 days · 98 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGW, 15 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.