LAX95LA116

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150G · Carefree, AZ · February 20, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 20, 1995, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
Place
Carefree, AZ
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N2688JCessna 150G
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report August 31, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19950220002279A
Case key
29041

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 pilot's premature retraction of the flaps and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during a go-around, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush.

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.

Loss of control - in flightGo-around (vfr)
Raising of flaps - prematurePilot in commandCause
Airspeed(vs) - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall/mush - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The pilot said he intended to land at the airstrip to examine the surrounding land for possible camping trips. He planned to meet his son, who was driving to the site in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The pilot said he was high during the approach to the 1,000-foot-long dirt strip and decided to execute a go-around after floating about 2/3 of the way down the runway. The pilot said he applied full power and retracted the flaps. He reported that the engine 'sputtered' momentarily then 'caught;' however, he let the airspeed get too slow and the aircraft stalled. The aircraft settled into the ground about 1/4 mile beyond the runway. A postcrash fire erupted and consumed the aircraft, to include all engine accessories. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures of the aircraft.

Factual narrative

On February 20, 1995, at 1530 mountain standard time, a Cessna 150G, N2688J, collided with the ground during an attempted go- around at a private dirt airstrip near Carefree, Arizona. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and included calm winds according to the pilot. No flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence and postcrash fire. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at the Glendale, Arizona, airport on the day of the accident at 1415 hours.

In an interview with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the pilot said he intended to land at the airstrip to examine the surrounding land for possible camping trips. He planned to meet his son, who was driving to the site in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The pilot said he was high during the approach to the 1,000-foot-long dirt strip and decided to execute a go-around after floating about 2/3 of the way down the runway. The pilot said he applied full power and retracted the flaps. He reported that the engine "sputtered" momentarily then "caught;" however, he let the airspeed get too slow and the aircraft stalled. The aircraft settled into the ground about 1/4 mile beyond the runway. A postcrash fire erupted and consumed the aircraft, to include all engine accessories. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures of the aircraft.

Aircraft

Registration
N2688J
Reported as
Cessna 150G
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15065688
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Westly D. Witter
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · July 30, 1994
Departed
GUE · Glendale, AZ
Destination
NONE
Airport
Red Creek Airstrip, runway 27, 1,000 × 30 ft, dirt

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
45
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
138 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
30 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F

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 N2688J · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.