- Date
- May 8, 1999, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Maybell, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6128KCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990508004799A
- Case key
- 46297
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 pilot's inadvertent stall while maneuvering. Factors were the wind gusts weather conditions, and the high density altitude weather conditions.
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 pilot said he was attempting to signal his friends on the ground. He reported that as he 'turned from east to south, it suddenly got very quiet, and the airspeed went to nothing.' He further reported that the airplane became 'very sluggish and mushy to handle, and he could hear the ailerons banging stop to stop.' The pilot said that the stall horn came on and he pushed the airplane's nose down to gain airspeed. The airplane impacted a plowed field, crushing the nose wheel landing gear aft, and coming to rest in an inverted position. The pilot reported that the wind was approximately 250 degrees at 10 knots with gusts estimated 25 to 30 knots. The density altitude was calculated to be 8,600 feet msl.
Factual narrative
On May 8, 1999, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N6128K, was substantially damaged following impact with terrain near Maybell, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned/operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight which originated approximately 2 hours before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he was attempting to signal his friends on the ground to drive to the airstrip to pick up him and his passenger. He reported that as he "turned from east to south, it suddenly got very quiet and the airspeed went to nothing." He further reported that the airplane became "very sluggish and mushy to handle, and he could hear the ailerons banging stop to stop." The pilot said that the stall horn came on and he pushed the airplane's nose down to gain airspeed. The airplane impacted a plowed field, crushing the nose wheel landing gear aft, and coming to rest in an inverted position.
The pilot reported that the wind was approximately 250 degrees at 10 knots with gusts estimated 25 to 30 knots. The density altitude was calculated to be 8,600 feet above mean sea level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6128K
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1507737
- Airframe hours
- 2,900
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Gotchey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1999 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 603 total · 360 in this make and model · 540 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAG, 37 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.