ERA18LA048

The purpose of the flight was to recover the airplane from a farm field. The pilot walked the field, which was oriented east/west and measured about 1,000 ft long by 500 ft wide. The southeast corner of the field was bisected by high-tension powerlines oriented northeast/southwest. The pilot stated to witnesses that he intended to begin the takeoff roll to the west along the northern border of the field and arc the takeoff path left 90° to the south. Once airborne, the pilot planned to fly the airplane beneath the powerlines before climbing to cruise altitude. Cell phone video of the accident and measurements of the field revealed that, about 300 ft after starting the takeoff roll, the airplane turned sharply left toward the powerlines. About 100 ft later, the airplane pitched up sharply and banked steeply left as it lifted off the ground. The airplane reached near the apex of its climb about 50 ft above the ground in about a 60° left bank; shortly thereafter, the airplane collided with terrain. Throughout the takeoff roll, initial climb, and the flight to ground contact, the engine accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously at high power without interruption. A detailed examination of the airframe and engine revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's original 100-horsepower engine had been replaced with a 150-horspower engine, which likely influenced the pilot's decision to attempt the takeoff. The circumstances of the accident, including the lack of mechanical anomalies and the airplane's steep nose-up, left banking attitude just before impact, are consistent with the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1963. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on October 20, 2017, at 2,068 total aircraft hours. On December 16, 2017, at 1440 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150C, N7929Z, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after takeoff from a farm field in Castalia, North Carolina. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was destined for Triangle North Executive Airport (LHZ), Louisburg, North Carolina. The purpose of the flight was to recover the airplane from the field after a student pilot performed a precautionary landing there the previous day. The student reported that he had reduced engine power and airspeed after encountering turbulence; the engine subsequently became unresponsive to throttle inputs, and the student performed a successful landing to the field. The student pilot accompanied his father (who was an airline transport pilot), a mechanic, and the accident pilot (who was the owner of the airplane) to the field to retrieve the airplane. The accident pilot and the mechanic sampled the fuel, examined and test ran the engine, during which no anomalies were observed, and subsequently determined that the airplane was ready for flight. The field was oriented east/west and was about 1,000 ft long and 500 ft wide. The eastern and southern borders of the field were bisected diagonally by high-tension power lines that were oriented northeast/southwest, and an estimated 40 ft above the ground at their lowest point. The southern border consisted of a small pond and a creek bed (see figure 1). Figure 1: Overhead View of Accident Site (Google Earth) The student pilot and his father reported that the pilot "walked the field" and stated his takeoff/departure plan, which was to begin the takeoff roll to the west along the northern border of the field and arc the airplane's takeoff path 90° to the south. Once airborne, the pilot would fly the airplane beneath the powerlines, over the creek, and then climb to cruise altitude. The property owner also witnessed the accident and recorded the takeoff with his cell phone. Review of the video and measurements taken by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that, 300 ft after the airplane began its takeoff roll, the airplane turned sharply left toward the powerlines. After 400 ft, the airplane pitched up sharply and banked steeply left as it lifted off. The airplane neared the apex of its climb about 50 ft above the ground in about a 60° left bank, when the camera panned down and the airplane was no longer in frame. Shortly thereafter, the camera panned back up in time to capture the airplane's collision with terrain. Throughout the takeoff roll, initial climb, and the flight toground contact, the engine was heard accelerating smoothly and running continuously at high power without interruption. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina, submitted a Report of Investigation on the pilot. No autopsy was performed because the pilot died in a physician's care on December 17, 2017. The probable cause of death was "multiple blunt force injuries." The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not perform toxicological testing on the pilot as no samples were submitted. At 1440, the weather reported at LHZ, 10 miles west of the accident site, included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and calm winds. The temperature was 8°C, the dew point was -5°C, and the altimeter setting was 30.21 inches of mercury. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued January 11, 2017. He declared 8,400 total hours of flight experience on that date. The wreckage was examined at the accident site by two FAA inspectors and all major components were accounted for at the scene. The instrument panel and engine compartments were separated from the cockpit but remained attached by wires, cables, and floor structure. The propeller was partially buried, and the engine and instrument panel displayed thermal damage from a small postcrash fire. Control continuity was established from the flight controls to the flight control surfaces. One aileron control cable displayed fractures consistent with overstress. A detailed examination was performed on the airframe and engine at a recovery facility in Griffin, Georgia. The examination revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.