- Date
- March 19, 2005, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mitchellville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11965Cessna 150L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050319009499A
- Case key
- 61199
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 pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.
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
During landing on runway 36, as the airplane was settling onto the runway, a gust of wind elevated the airplane approximately 20 feet. The pilot then added power, and the right wing lifted "radically," causing the left wing to impact the runway. The airplane came to rest against an embankment on the left side of the runway. The pilot estimated the winds to be from the east at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. He also reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On March 19, 2005, at 1215 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150L, N11965, was substantially damaged while landing at Freeway Airport (WOO), Mitchellville, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 36, and he estimated the winds were from the east at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. He stated that during his eighth landing, he had 40 degrees of flaps and was settling onto the runway when a gust of wind elevated the airplane approximately 20 feet. The pilot then added power, and the right wing lifted "radically," causing the left wing to impact the runway. The airplane came to rest against an embankment on the left side of the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He also reported 260 hours of total flight experience, 75 of which were in make and model of the accident airplane.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, revealed substantial damage to the left wing spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11965
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15075743
- Airframe hours
- 3,454
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Hopkins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2004 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- WOO · Mitchellville, MD
- Destination
- WOO · Mitchellville, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- WOO · Freeway Airport, runway 36, 2,425 × 40 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 9, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 260 total · 75 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- 9 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.