- Date
- February 8, 2001, 07:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Bishop, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5695GCessna 150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010208001229A
- Case key
- 51751
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 failure to maintain altitude and clearance from terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot's diverted attention and the low ceiling.
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 single engine airplane collided with the ground while in cruise flight during a VFR flight beneath a low cloud ceiling. After about 10 minutes of flight the pilot was leaning forward and trying to untangle the wires of his headset jacks when the airplane "unexpectedly" impacted the ground. He was flying at about 500 feet AGL and did not have a good horizon. No mechanical anomalies were found with the aircraft. The nearest weather reporting facility, located about 15 miles to the west of the accident site, reported the following visibility and cloud conditions close to the time of the accident: Visibility 4 miles, 500 feet broken, 1000 overcast.
Factual narrative
On February 8, 2001, at 0755 central standard time, a Cessna 150K airplane, N5695G, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain while in cruise flight in the vicinity of Bishop, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated at 0745 from the Bishop Municipal Airport, Bishop, Texas, and was en-route to the Valley International Airport, Harlingen, Texas.
During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was leaning forward and trying to untangle the wires of his headset jacks when the airplane "unexpectedly" impacted the ground. He stated that he was flying at about 500 feet AGL and did not have a good horizon.
An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that ground impressions at the site indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a near level attitude. There were skid marks extending about 50 feet from the initial impact point to where the airplane came to rest. Multiple propeller strike marks were found in the ground about 25 feet from the initial impact point. Toward the end of the skid marks, the airplane was found nosed over and inverted with the nose landing gear collapsed. Both lower engine mounts were found broken and the firewall was buckled. Both upper wing skins were found wrinkled when the airplane was righted.
The nearest weather reporting facility, located about 15 miles to the west of the accident site, reported the following visibility and cloud conditions at 0739 and 0756:
0739
Visibility 4 miles, 500 feet overcast.
0756
Visibility 4 miles, 500 feet broken, 1000 overcast.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5695G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15071195
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Anse E. Windham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2000 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 07R · Bishop, TX
- Destination
- HRL · Harlingen, TX
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 23, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- NQI, 15 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.