- Date
- October 22, 1991, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Matagorda, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9293UCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911022047339A
- Case key
- 18402
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 adequate flying speed during the attempted takeoff.
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
While flying down the gulf coast, the pilot decided to land on the beach. He stated that after touchdown, he decided that it had not been a good idea and attempted to abort the landing. By that time, however, the airplane was stuck in the wet sand. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane and pushed it to an area where the sand appeared to be hard packed. The pilot then attempted to execute a short field takeoff using 20 degrees of flaps. The pilot stated that after the airplane became airborne, it stalled, veered right, and the right wing tip impacted the sand. The airplane subsequently rotated around the right wing and the nose impacted the beach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9293U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078243
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nikolai M. Halvorsen
- Registered owner
- Nikolai M. Halvorsen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- ELE · Houston, 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
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 102 total · 46 in this make and model · 16 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.