- Date
- March 24, 1991, 10:51 local (16:51 UTC)
- Place
- Floresville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N383VUCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910324007199A
- Case key
- 23315
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 failure of the engine due to a jammed valve, incorrect maintenance procedures, and the pilot's improper compensation for the existing wind conditions. A factor was the tailwind.
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 a day cross country flight, the student pilot began an approved descent for an approach to san antonio international airport, san antonio, Texas, the engine lost partial power due to a stuck valve in the number 2 cylinder student pilot was vectored to a private airstrip, however, she could not extend the glide FAR enough to reach the airstrip due to a tail wind on her selected final approach course. The airplane struck a tree and fence during the landing causing the airplane to pitch over inverted. Significant maintenance had been performed prior to the flight and there was at least one instance of a power loss during a previous takeoff. There were 2 previous incidents where the number 2 cylinder exhaust valve stuck in the half open position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N383VU
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15063968
- Airframe hours
- 4,994
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Airpline Pilot Institute Inc
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1990 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- CRP · Corpus Christi, TX
- Destination
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE · John Connolly, runway 11, 4,050 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 10 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAT, 35 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.
Other investigations on N383VU · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.