# NTSB MIA94LA132: Cessna 150, N704LZ, Port Saint Joe, FL, May 7, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 7, 1994, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Port Saint Joe, FL - Coordinates: 29.839294, -85.299652 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8393&lon=-85.2997&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report December 7, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 37540 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA94LA132 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/37540/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA94LA132 ## Probable cause THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE LOW ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE STALL WAS A FACTOR. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - turn to reverse direction - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - altitude - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Nose over, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRPLANE STALLED, DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AND COLLIDED WITH A SAND DUNE. THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED OVER, CAME TO REST INVERTED AND WAS DESTROYED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND NEARLY FULLY EXTENDED. REPORTEDLY, THE PASSENGERS LAP BELT WAS DIFFICULT TO RELEASE WHILE INVERTED WHICH RESULTED IN THE DELAY IN HER EXITING THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN BURNS TO HER LEGS. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE LAP BELT SYSTEM WERE NOT FOUND BUT EXAMINATION OF RECOVERED COMPONENTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. ## Factual narrative On May 7, 1994, about 1800 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N704LZ, registered to Apalachicola International Aviation Training Center, collided with terrain near Port Saint Joe, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed by a postcrash fire and the private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated about 1730 from the Apalachicola Municipal Airport, Apalachicola, Florida. The flight departed and after the pilot spotted a boat which was beached at the tip of an island, he descended to about 150-200 feet above ground level, overflew the boat, then he initiated a climbing left turn. During the turn the airplane felt "mushy." He rolled wings level, applied full power and reduced the back pressure on the control column but the nose pitched down. During the uncontrolled descent the airplane collided with a sand dune, nosed over, and was destroyed by a postcrash fire. One of the occupants of the boat who was onshore observed the accident and helped with the release of the difficult lapbelt of the passenger. The passengers legs received second and third degree burns as a result of the postcrash fire. Both male ends of the lap belt system for each seat were located but only one of the female ends of the lap belt system for each seat was located. The recovered lap belt components were examined which revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector and by a representative of the aircraft manufacturer revealed no evidence of any flight control preimpact failure or malfunction. The flaps were determined to be extended 39.32 degrees. Full extension is 40 degrees. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N704LZ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N704LZ-1997-03-21), registration cancelled 1997-03-21, S/N 15078708 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150 - Registry model: [Cessna 150M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (registry code 2071830) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 150-78708 - Airframe hours: 5769 - Engines: LYCOMING O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Apalachicola Int'L Avn Tng Ctr - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, April 23, 1994, 10 hours before - Departed: AAF, APALACHICOLA, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 660 total, 200 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 5 knots - Visibility: 8 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: PFN, 12 nm away ## 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 19940507010299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940507010299A), May 7, 1994: Cessna 150M, Port Saint Joe, FL, Destroyed. Dived over a beached boat. Began climbing turn full flaps. Stalled. Collided with sand dune. Nosed over and burned. 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.