GAA19CA543

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150 · Memphis, TN · September 12, 2019

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 12, 2019, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
Place
Memphis, TN
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N21979Cessna 150
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 11, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20190912012999A
Case key
100257

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.

Findings · 3

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.

Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 150L: 3 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna 150L: 26 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCessna 150L: 9 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause

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 student pilot reported that, during landing, she flared the airplane early and that it then skipped on the runway during touchdown. The airplane drifted right, and the flight instructor then took the flight controls, but the airplane continued right. The airplane then lifted off about midfield, spun, and came to rest in grass right of the runway. The flight instructor reported that he was a new instructor. He added that, while the student was landing, the approach was high and slow as the airplane crossed the threshold, that the student flared "very high," and that he attempted to instruct her on how to recover, but she unexpectedly "pitched [the airplane] up further." He took control of the airplane, applied full power, retracted the flaps, and attempted a go-around. He added that the airplane was struggling to stay airborne and that he was concerned that it might impact some construction cranes beyond the end of the runway, so he turned right, and the airplane impacted the ground right of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mounts. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that, during landing, she flared early, and the airplane skipped during touchdown. The airplane drifted right, the flight instructor took the flight controls, but the airplane continued right. The airplane then lifted off about midfield, then "pancaked and spun" and came to rest in the grass to the right of the runway. The flight instructor reported that he was a new flight instructor. He added that, while the student pilot was landing, the approach was high and slow as the airplane crossed the threshold. He added that she flared "very high," he attempted to instruct her how to recover, but she unexpectedly "pitched up further." He took control of the airplane, applied full power, retracted flaps, and attempted a go around. The airplane was struggling to stay airborne and he was concerned the airplane might impact some construction cranes beyond the end of the runway, so he attempted to turn right. The airplane impacted the ground to the right of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mounts. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N21979
Reported as
Cessna 150 (L)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15074585
Built
1973
Engine
Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Departed
M01 · Memphis, TN
Destination
M01 · Memphis, TN
Airport
M01 · General Dewitt Spain, runway 17, 3,800 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
ADS-B

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
65
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 13, 2017
Seat
Right
Flight hours
23,000 total · 10,000 as pilot in command · 143 in the last 90 days · 77.8 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot
Age
57
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
170° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 73 °F
Altimeter
30.17 inHg
Observed at
KMEM, 9 nm away

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.8 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.