- Date
- April 19, 1998, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Lumber Bridge, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N63582Cessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980419007219A
- Case key
- 38500
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's delay in aborting a takeoff from a wet grass runway.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the grass runway was wet and he did not walk the length of the runway before takeoff. During the takeoff roll he noted increased drag, but continued the takeoff, and due to insufficient speed to become airborne and remaining runway, he aborted the takeoff. The airplane skidded off the runway, contacted a road, became airborne, then touched down in a field and nosed over. The pilot further stated that he should have aborted the takeoff earlier.
Factual narrative
On April 19, 1998, about 1440 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N63582, registered to private individuals, crashed during takeoff from a private airstrip near Lumber Bridge, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that it had rained earlier and the grass runway was wet. He did not walk the length of the 1,500-foot-long runway before takeoff. He performed a short/soft field takeoff, and when a couple hundred feet down the runway, he noted increased drag. He continued the takeoff, and when at what he felt was sufficient airspeed to become airborne, the airplane did not. He aborted the takeoff and applied the brakes, but the airplane skidded off the departure end of the runway and became airborne after contacting a road. The airplane then touched down in a field and nosed over. He further stated that he should have aborted the takeoff earlier.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63582
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15077411
- Airframe hours
- 2,402
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Julius T. Hagin
- Registered owner
- Joseph D. Morell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 20, 1997 · 36 hours before
- Airport
- runway 21, 1,500 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,096 total · 384 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.