# NTSB CHI98LA078: Cessna 150J, N51258, Gaylord, MI, January 12, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 12, 1998, 12:10 local (17:10 UTC) - Place: Gaylord, MI - Coordinates: 45.019008, -84.670654 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0190&lon=-84.6707&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10818 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI98LA078 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10818/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA078 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudging the flare leading to a hard landing, and the kit manufacturer's (Supplemental Type Certificate holder's) inadequate design leading to a corrosion stress fracture of the landing gear attachment. A factor was the landing gear attachment corroded. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - landing gear,main gear attachment - corroded (contributing factor) - acft/equip,inadequate design, kit manufacturer (cause) - landing gear,main gear attachment - fractured ## Analysis The airplane experienced a hard landing. During the hard landing the right main landing gear attachment fractured. Examination of the fractured part revealed about 95% from overstress fracture and the remainder from a corrosion stress fracture. ## Factual narrative On January 12, 1998, at 1210 eastern standard time, a ski equipped Cessna 150J, N51258, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on a snow covered, frozen lake near Gaylord, Michigan. The main landing gear utilized an extension to relocate the axle. That extension fractured and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight which departed from the Otsego County Airport also near Gaylord, about 1100. The pilot stated that the right main landing gear extension failed after three landings and on taxi to his hangar. He said that the substantial damage to the airplane occurred at that time. A witness who talked to the police made a written statement indicating that she watched the airplane make three separate landings and that on the last landing, "Just before it touched down, it kind of hovered sideways and then went almost straight down, bounced back up once and back down and slowly tipped over onto the nose, and one wing." The fractured landing gear extension was examined by the NTSB's Office of Research and Engineering. Their report No. 98-127 is attached as an addendum to this report. The report indicated that the, "... fracture surfaces showed a majority of fracture features consistent with a failure in overstress." The report indicated that there was a uniformly blackened area on the edge of the surface located at the side of the radius of a cut-out. The blackened area was cleaned and found to be corroded. The corrosion was found in a pattern which appeared to coincide with the outline of the main landing gear leg. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N51258](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N51258), registered now, S/N 15069877, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150J - Registry model: [Cessna 150J](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150j) (registry code 2071820) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15069877 - Airframe hours: 2763 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Luciano I. Pierobon - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 31, 1997, 1 hours before - Departed: GLR, GAYLORD, MI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 3,000 total, 200 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 30 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980112002439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980112002439A), Jan 12, 1998: Cessna 150J, Gaylord, MI, Substantial damage. Extension axle for ski equipped 150 failed landing on frozen lake. Ground looped. (.4)the airplane experienced a hard landing. During the hard landing the… ## Other investigations on N51258 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI76FEK32](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI76FEK32), Sep 28, 1976: Cessna 150 (N51258), Columbus, OH, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.