- Date
- June 1, 2004, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N959BCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040601012239A
- Case key
- 59346
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 student pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during the go-around. A factor associated with the accident was the student's lack of experience.
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 airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control during a go-around. The student reported he maintained an airspeed of 70 miles per hour with 20 degrees of flaps until he began the landing flare. He stated the airplane ballooned and drifted "slightly right" during the flare. He applied left aileron in an attempt to realign the airplane, but it veered to the left. He stated he then added full power at which time the airplane banked to the left. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, slid across a taxiway, and came to rest alongside a ditch. The student pilot stated he made 5 takeoffs and landing with his flight instructor on the morning of the accident. The accident occurred on the first solo landing of the day. The accident occurred on the student's second supervised solo flight. He reported having .5 hours of pilot in command flight time prior to this flight.
Factual narrative
On June 1, 2004, at 0915 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N959B, collided with the terrain during a go-around from runway 24 (3,800 feet by 24 feet, asphalt) at the Jack Barstow Airport (3BS), Midland, Michigan. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane received substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instruction flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight originated at 3BS at 0910.
The student reported he maintained an airspeed of 70 miles per hour with 20 degrees of flaps until he began the landing flare. He stated the airplane ballooned and drifted "slightly right" during the flare. He applied left aileron in an attempt to realign the airplane, but it veered to the left. He stated he then added full power at which time the airplane banked to the left. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cart wheeled, slid across a taxiway, and came to rest alongside a ditch.
The student pilot stated he made 5 takeoffs and landing with his flight instructor on the morning of the accident. The accident occurred on the first solo landing of the day. The accident occurred on the student's second supervised solo flight. He reported having .5 hours of pilot in command flight time prior to this flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N959B
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17201
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey L. Gordon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3BS · Midland, MI
- Destination
- 3BS · Midland, MI
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.