- Date
- December 7, 1990, 16:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Amarillo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3956UCessna 150E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901207053319A
- Case key
- 23295
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
An underpowered takeoff attempt due to incorrectly set magnetos. Contributing was the transmission lines.
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
During departure from an unimproved 1,800-FT grass airstrip, in a high gross weight airplane, the left wing contacted the ground and the airplane cartwheeled. The pilot was making a left turn to avoid electrical transmission lines at the departure end. The airplane had just completed an annual inspection. Both magnetos had been incorrectly set to 16 deg before top dead center. According to the engine manufacturer this setting would result in a power loss of aprx 30%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3956U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5061356
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Conley, Charles
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 290 total · 250 in this make and model · 248 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Observed at
- AMA, 13 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.