CHI00LA236

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150M · Bloomington, IL · August 3, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 3, 2000, 13:04 local (18:04 UTC)
Place
Bloomington, IL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6087KCessna 150M
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 26, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000803036299A
Case key
49919

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 not maintaining directional control of the airplane. Factors were the crosswind weather condition, the airport sign, and the collapsed nose gear.

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 - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - airport sign/markerFactor
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - grass
Landing gear,nose gear - collapsedFactor

Analysis

The airplane exited the north edge of runway 11, impacted a sign, collapsed its nose gear, and sustained substantial damage. The wind was 040 degrees at 12 knots. A FAA postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

Factual narrative

On August 3, 2000, at 1304 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N6087K, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during a landing roll on runway 11 (6,500 feet X 150 feet, dry/concrete, asphalt) at Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI), near Bloomington, Illinois. The instructional solo flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot was uninjured. The flight originated from a private field near Normal, Illinois about 1230 and was practicing touch and goes at BMI at the time of the accident.

The student pilot stated, "My first landing went smoothly and I went around for my second try. Because of the slight cross wind from the left, as I landed I touched the left main down just before the right main. As I brought the right main onto the [g]round I felt it shaking as if [it] were loose or something of that sort. It became better momentarily so I decided to power up and take off again. As I did, it immediately began to shake again. I quickly pulled the power so I could taxi to the ramp and take a look at it. Just as I took the power off I noticed the plane wanting to pull to the left. I tried to correct this with right rudder. Even with full right rudder I couldn't correct it enough to keep it on the runway. I then tried the right brake but it also did nothing to keep me on the runway. I then went off the runway and into the grass." He said, "I then saw a runway sign directly in front of me and began trying to move one way or the other in an effort to avoid the sign. No matter what I did I found myself unable to control the plane in any way. I then ran into and through the sign and across a taxi way. After re-entering the grass again I lost the nose wheel and the nose went down into the dirt."

At 1304, the BMI weather observation was: Wind 040 degrees at 12 knots; visibility 20 statute miles; sky condition scattered 2,000 feet broken 20,000 feet; temperature 25 degrees C; dew point 16 degrees C; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed a postaccident inspection of the airplane. The inspection revealed no anomalies. The FAA inspector examined the instructor pilot's and student pilot's records. No anomalies were found in the student pilot's training.

Aircraft

Registration
N6087K
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15077518
Airframe hours
6,185
Engine
Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Lowell T. Hoffman
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 14, 1999 · 56 hours before
Departed
PVT · Normal, IL
Destination
BMI
Airport
BMI · Central Illinois Regional, runway 11, 6,500 × 150 ft, concrete

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
20
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
36 total · 36 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 12 knots
Visibility
20 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
20,000 ft broken
Temperature
171 °F, dew point 142 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
BMI

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 N6087K · 1

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