- Date
- March 9, 1996, 09:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Ormond Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N704XQCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960309003819A
- Case key
- 37992
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
the failure of the pilot-in-command to apply caburetor heat before reducing the throttle to simulate an engine failure. Contributing to the accident was the carburetor icing conditions and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the emergency descent.
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 CFI stated that while in the traffic pattern he reduced the throttle to idle to simulate loss of engine power, but he did not apply carburetor heat. The student hesitated in performing the emergency procedures, then applied carburetor heat 20-30 seconds later. The CFI aborted the simulation and added power but the engine failed to respond. He made a forced landing on a golf course and the airplane collided with a tree. The engine was subsequently started, but was not operated to full rated RPM due to damaged engine mounts. A review of the carburetor ice probability chart revealed that serious carburetor icing conditions were probable at descent power about the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On March 9, 1996, about 0905 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M, N704XQ, registered to Ormond Beach Aviation, crashed while attempting a go-around at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, Ormond Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot/flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The flight had originated from the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport about 0845 that same day.
The flight instructor stated that while on downwind leg abeam the numbers about 1,000 feet msl, he reduced the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure, but he did not apply carburetor heat. The student hesitated, then applied carburetor heat 20 to 30 seconds later. While on base leg 1/4 mile from the runway at 500 feet, the flight instructor aborted the simulation. He applied throttle but the engine did not respond. He then shut off carburetor heat and realizing that he would be unable to land on the runway, he decided to make a forced landing on a golf course. While descending the left wing hit a tree, the airplane rolled left, cartwheeled, and came to rest with the empennage elevated resting against a tree.
The airplane was recovered and with the engine still attached to the airframe, the engine was started. It was not run to a specific rpm or to full-rated rpm due to damaged engine mounts.
A review of the Carburetor Ice Probability Chart revealed that conditions were probable for serious icing at descent power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N704XQ
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078959
- Airframe hours
- 6,400
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ormond Beach Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 19, 1996 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- OMN · FL
- Airport
- OMN · Ormond Beach Municipal, runway 35, 3,701 × 100 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,861 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 1,720 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 8 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.