# NTSB LAX98LA080: Cessna 150F, N7911F, San Carlos, CA, January 17, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 17, 1998, 15:10 local (23:10 UTC) - Place: San Carlos, CA - Coordinates: 37.489936, -122.260566 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4899&lon=-122.2606&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - ADs cited in the narratives: [AD 87-20-03 R2](https://openairdocs.org/ad/87-20-03-R2) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 30027 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX98LA080 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30027/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=30027 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA080 ## Probable cause The pilot's excessive airspeed, which resulted in a bounced landing, and, his failure to ensure that his seat locking pin was engaged, which caused his seat to move backwards during the touchdown and resulted in his loss of directional control. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - airspeed - excessive, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - fuselage,seat - not secured - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fuselage,seat - shifted - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - diverted attention, pilot in command - ground loop/swerve - not corrected, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The aircraft was modified by STC to a conventional landing gear configuration. The pilot reported that he did not sufficiently reduce the airspeed during the approach and the aircraft 'bounced about 2-3 feet' on the touchdown. At that point, the seat slid backwards about 3 to 4 inches and the pilot stated that the abrupt seat movement caused his loss of control. The aircraft then ground looped, turned approximately 90 degrees, and came to a stop upright on the runway. Aircraft maintenance records disclosed that Airworthiness Directive 87-20-03R2, which pertains to the inspection of the seat tracks, had been complied with. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he had forgotten to engage the seat locking pin before the flight. ## Factual narrative On January 17, 1998, at 1510 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 150F, N7911F, ground looped on landing at the San Carlos, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from the Camarillo, California, airport at 1200 and was terminating at the time of the accident. The aircraft was modified by Supplemental Type Certificate to a conventional landing gear configuration. In a written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot reported that he did not sufficiently reduce the airspeed during the approach and the aircraft "bounced about 2-3 feet" on the touchdown. At that point, the seat slid backwards about 3 to 4 inches and the pilot stated that "this diversion was probable cause of [the] poor ability of [the] pilot to control [the] plane . . . effective control was lost." The aircraft then ground looped, turned approximately 90 degrees, and came to a stop upright on the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the San Jose Flight Standards District Office, examination of the aircraft maintenance records showed that Airworthiness Directive 87-20-03R2, which pertains to the inspection of the seat tracks, had been complied with. The FAA inspector also reported that the pilot gave a verbal statement in which he reported that he had forgotten to engage the seat locking pin before the flight. The pilot also reported to the Safety Board that he had recently flown 30 hours in a Citabria tail dragger airplane and that " . . . [his] lack of landing practice in [a] Cessna 150 caused [the] bounce on landing." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7911F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7911F-2018-03-06), registration cancelled 2018-03-06, S/N 15064011, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 150F - Registry model: [Cessna 150F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f) (registry code 2071814) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 150-64011 - Airframe hours: 4694 - Engines: Continental O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Scott Brear - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 25, 1997, 8 hours before - Departed: CMA, CAMARILLO, CA - Destination: SQL - Airport: SQL, San Carlos, runway 30, 2,600 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 770 total, 90 in this make and model, 740 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 5 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Temperature: 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980117002509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980117002509A), Jan 17, 1998: Cessna STC150, San Carlos, CA, Substantial damage. Bounced. Seat slid back. Lost control of tail dragger. Left wing and gear damaged. (.4)the aircraft was modified by STC to a conventional landing gear… ## Other investigations on N7911F (3) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC12LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12LA031), Apr 22, 2012: Cessna 150F (N7911F), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot did not control the airplane’s pitch attitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use… - [NTSB ANC99LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA086), Jul 4, 1999: Cessna 150F (N7911F), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate compensation for a crosswind. Factors in the accident were a crosswind, and an inadvertent ground loop. - [NTSB LAX67F0331](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX67F0331), Mar 14, 1967: Cessna 150F (N7911F), Simi, CA, substantial damage ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 4, 1998, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=30027. 772 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 412 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40411850&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - AD 87-20-03 R2 - Seat Tracks (item 2, .PDF, 360 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40087625&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=AD%2087-20-03%20R2%20-%20Seat%20Tracks-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.