- Date
- August 27, 2013, 11:05 local (15:05 UTC)
- Place
- Chestertown, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1574QCessna 150L
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20130827016829A
- Case key
- 87884
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's improper control inputs which resulted in a loss of control and aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During takeoff on an instructional flight from a 2,200 foot long by 80 foot wide private grass runway, a loss of control occurred and the airplane struck the ground and nosed over. Neither the student pilot or flight instructor was injured. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it had been substantially damaged. According to the flight instructor, the airplane had 10 degrees of flaps extended for takeoff. After the student rotated the airplane for takeoff, the student pilot used right aileron instead of right rudder. The airplane began to slip to the right, the right wing "dropped"; the airplane then "pitched up", and entered an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then pitched nose down. The flight instructor tried to correct using left aileron, rudder and elevator. The airplane struck the ground with the left wingtip and nose, and then nosed over about 60 yards off the departure end of the grass runway. At the time of the accident, the prevailing wind in the area was in the process of shifting from a crosswind to a right quartering tailwind. The instructor advised the NTSB that he "should have taken control sooner."
Factual narrative
During takeoff on an instructional flight from a 2,200 foot long by 80 foot wide private grass runway, a loss of control occurred and the airplane struck the ground and nosed over. Neither the student pilot or flight instructor was injured. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it had been substantially damaged. According to the flight instructor, the airplane had 10 degrees of flaps extended for takeoff. After the student rotated the airplane for takeoff, the student pilot used right aileron instead of right rudder. The airplane began to slip to the right, the right wing "dropped"; the airplane then" pitched up", and entered an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then pitched nose down. The flight instructor tried to correct using left aileron, rudder and elevator. The airplane struck the ground with the left wingtip and nose, and then nosed over about 60 yards off the departure end of the grass runway. At the time of the accident the prevailing winds in the area were in the process of shifting from a crosswind to a right quartering tailwind. The instructor advised the NTSB that he "should have taken control sooner".
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1574Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072874
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 3,641
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2013
- Departed
- 05MD · Chestertown, MD
- Destination
- 05MD · Chestertown, MD
- Airport
- 05MD · Breezecroft Airport, runway 18, 2,700 × 80 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 5,500 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTN, 11 nm away
Docket · 10
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.