- Date
- February 1, 2016, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lapeer, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6960FCessna 150
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160201001209A
- Case key
- 92706
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 student pilot's failure to achieve an adequate climb rate while turning to avoid obstacles during an aborted landing, resulting in an uncontrolled descent, collision with terrain, and a nose over.
Findings · 2
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 owner of the airplane reported that the solo student pilot told him that the airplane "bounced upon touchdown." He further reported that the solo student pilot executed a "go-around," and "determined the climb out rate was insufficient to clear the trees and the airspeed and altitude were insufficient to permit a safe course adjustment to avoid the tree line." The airplane touched down on a field with "plowed soft soil," the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. The owner did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The owner of the airplane reported that the solo student pilot told him that the airplane "bounced upon touchdown." He further reported that the solo student pilot executed a "go-around," and "determined the climb out rate was insufficient to clear the trees and the airspeed and altitude were insufficient to permit a safe course adjustment to avoid the tree line." The airplane touched down on a field with "plowed soft soil," the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. The owner did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6960F
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15063560
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 5,580
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald O. Holcomb, LLC.
- Registered owner
- Ronald O. Holcomb, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 13, 2015
- Departed
- D95 · Lapeer, MI
- Destination
- D95 · Lapeer, MI
- Airport
- D95 · Dupont-Lapeer, runway 18, 3,605 × 50 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 16.2 total · 16.2 in this make and model · 1.3 as pilot in command · 16.2 in the last 90 days · 7.3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KD95
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 29, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.
Other investigations on N6960F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.