- Date
- March 7, 2000, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reedley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N6194TCessna 150E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000307013089A
- Case key
- 48786
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
A loose seat latch which permitted the seat to move aft to a position where the pilot could no longer reach the controls.
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
The pilot reported that as she started to taxi following engine start, her seat slipped back and she lost directional control of the aircraft. The pilot, who is 69 inches tall, reported she was unable to attain full rudder deflection for nose wheel steering or full use of the brakes. The tip of the left wing struck a pole before she could regain control.
Factual narrative
On March 7, 2000, at 1530 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 150E, N6194T, was substantially damaged when the left wing tip impacted a pole during taxi for takeoff at Reedley, California. The private certificated pilot was not injured. The local area, personal flight was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that as she started to taxi following engine start, her seat slipped back and she lost directional control of the aircraft. The pilot, who is 69 inches tall, reported she was unable to attain full rudder deflection for nose wheel steering or full use of the brakes. The tip of the left wing struck a pole before she could regain control. The aft spar of the wing buckled near the wing root.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6194T
- Reported as
- Cessna 150E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15060894
- Airframe hours
- 2,503
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry Fielden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 1999 · 25 hours before
- Airport
- O32 · Reedley Municipal
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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,253 total · 37 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 4, 2001, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 346 KB 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.