CHI96LA199

The airplane was unable to clear powerlines located directly at the departure end of the airstrip. The airplane stalled and contacted the terrain with the left wing followed by the nose. The takeoff on the wet grass airstrip was initiated at the 1,600 foot point on the 2,000 foot long runway. The airplane was near gross weight at the time.

On June 13, 1996, at 1230 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N16047, collided with the terrain following a loss of control during an initial takeoff climb from a private grass airstrip in Charlotte, Michigan. The pilot and a pilot rated passenger both received serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.

Both pilots stated the takeoff was made with 10 degrees of flaps and full power. There were powerlines located directly at the departure end of the airstrip. The passenger reported he was looking at a chart and he "did not look up until the plane was airborne and [the pilot] was applying left rudder causing the plane to yaw left. I saw powerlines to the north. It didn't appear that we were much higher than those powerlines." He stated that at this point the airplane was sinking and the stall horn sounded after the airplane yawed approximately 90 degrees to the left. He continued to stated that at an altitude of approximately 50 feet above the ground, the left wing dropped becoming perpendicular with the ground and the airplane impacted the terrain with the left wingtip and nose striking the ground.

The pilot stated that at an altitude of approximately 150 feet above the ground as he "reached to retract the flaps, a severe wind gust from behind caused the indicated airspeed to drop from 70 mph to below 40 mph and the plane dipped toward power lines slightly forward. In that instant, I kicked left rudder and rolled aileron left to avoid potential conflict and hopefully catch some wind." The pilot stated the airplane continued to sink and after 90 degrees of left turn, he attempted to neutralize the controls as the airplane landed in a field rocking forward onto the nose followed by the left wing.

The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector who traveled to the accident site and the airstrip owner both stated that the airstrip was wet at the time of takeoff. The takeoff was initiated approximately 400 feet from the beginning of the airstrip leaving 1,600 feet of usable airstrip for the takeoff. Winds reported at Lansing, Michigan (19 miles northeast of the airstrip) were from the west at 9 knots. The pilot reported on his NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that the local winds were from 360 degrees at 12 knots. witnesses reported the winds were from the northwest. The airplane was loaded near gross weight at the time of takeoff.