- Date
- June 28, 2021, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bentleyville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N22307Cessna 150
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20210628011089A
- Case key
- 103365
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 flight instructor and student pilot’s inadequate preflight performance planning which resulted in a takeoff attempt with insufficient available runway, a loss of control, and impact with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 student pilot and instructor were preparing for the student’s private pilot checkride. After performing takeoffs, landings, and several maneuvers, they decided to perform a landing at a 1,720 ft private grass strip. The landing was uneventful, and the student pilot taxied back and prepared to take off with 10° of flaps. During the takeoff, after the airplane became airborne, and the last recollection the student pilot had was that the airplane was not climbing due to “low airspeed in [the] high heat [and] high humidity.” Subsequently, the airplane impacted the runway about 100 ft from trees at the departure end, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The student pilot reported that they did not complete performance calculations prior to the takeoff. Takeoff performance calculations based on the takeoff distance chart in the airplane owner’s manual revealed that a ground roll of about 1,022 ft and a takeoff distance of about 1,792 ft was required to clear a 50-ft obstacle at the airplane’s maximum allowable gross weight. The chart (and the checklist procedure) indicated that the maximum performance takeoff was to be performed with the flaps in the retracted position. In addition, the student pilot and the flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane during the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22307
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15068207
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 2,737
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2021
- Destination
- WAY · Waynesburg, PA
- Airport
- N/A · Private, runway 28, 1,720 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 107 in this make and model · 40 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- AFJ, 13 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAFJ 282256Z AUTO 21005KT 10SM CLR 31/20 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP225 T03110200
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.8 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.