- Date
- May 2, 2021, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Williamson, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6915SCessna 150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210502007989A
- Case key
- 103017
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 decision to land the airplane with a tailwind, which led to a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot reported that he approached the turf runway at his home airport with a tailwind, which he estimated to be about 20 knots and gusting. The airplane “just floated” at the intended touchdown point, and then touched down about 1/3 of the way down the 2,500-ft-long runway. After touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he added some engine power “so that the impact of the second touchdown would be mitigated.” After the second touchdown, he applied “maximum braking effort.” He reported that the braking action was “nil” due to the freshly mowed turf, and he was unable to stop the airplane on the runway. The airplane crossed over a road at the end of the runway, nosed over, came to rest inverted, and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot stated that the opposite runway was not used for landing at this airport, due to tall trees at the approach end, which would have required a touchdown “well past” the midpoint of the runway. Further, the opposite runway had a “radical” downward slope (its elevation decreased about 80 ft over the 2,500-ft length). The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6915S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067615
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 2,432
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2020 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- GA2 · Williamson, GA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 5GA3 · Eagles Landing, runway 31, 2,500 × 100 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 18, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 1,550 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- 6A2, 7 nm away
- METAR
- K6A2 021855Z AUTO 16011G15KT 10SM SCT050 26/13 A2995 RMK AO2
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.0 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.
Other investigations on N6915S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.