MIA00LA037

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150M · Morristown, TN · December 1, 1999

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 1, 1999, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
Place
Morristown, TN
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N704YECessna 150M
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 30, 2000
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19991201036819A
Case key
47854

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 failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff phase of a touch and go landing, and the subsequent skid off the runway and collapsed nose landing gear during the attempt to abort the takeoff.

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 - on ground/waterTakeoff - roll/run
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterTakeoff - aborted
Terrain condition - ground
Nose gear collapsedTakeoff - aborted

Analysis

The student pilot was conducting solo touch and go landings, and on his third landing, as he was applying power for the takeoff, the airplane veered left. Despite his application of right rudder the airplane continued off the left edge of the runway, collapsing the nose landing gear, and striking the terrain with the right wingtip, inducing a left 'cartwheel'. The airplane came to rest in the grass on it's nose and left wing, having sustained wing spar and firewall damage.

Factual narrative

On December 1, 1999, about 1700 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M, N704YE, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on landing at Moore-Murrell Airport, Morristown, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight departed the same airport about 1 hour before the accident.

According to the student pilot, after his third touch-and-go landing, he applied power for the takeoff and the airplane began a left drift off the runway. Once into the grass, the right wing struck the ground, and the airplane "cartwheeled" to the left, coming to rest on the nose and left wing.

According to FAA personnel, the pilot stated that when the airplane skidded off the runway edge into soft dirt and grass, he elected to abort the takeoff. Before he got the airplane stopped, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing damage to both wing spars and the firewall.

Aircraft

Registration
N704YE
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15078972
Airframe hours
3,732
Engine
Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
J. B. Marshall
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · November 26, 1999 · 38 hours before
Departed
MOR
Airport
MOR · Moore Murrel, runway 5, 5,700 × 150 ft, asphalt

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
40
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
16 total · 6 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
12,000 ft broken
Temperature
43 °F, dew point 14 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
MOR

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.