- Date
- February 26, 1996, 10:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Linden, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6964SCessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960226002739A
- Case key
- 39153
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 preflight and failure to follow the checklist to ensure that the fuel selector valve was in the ON position, which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power. In addition, the pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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
After takeoff, at about 200 feet, the engine lost power. Witnesses observed the airplane turn to the left about 180 degrees and nose into the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector was in the OFF position, and no fuel was found in the fuel lines going from the fuel selector to the engine. Fuel was found in the wing fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
On February 26, 1996, about 1010 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150H, N6964S, registered to Linden Air Services Inc., Linden, New Jersey, collided with the ground during a forced landing near, Linden, New Jersey, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, the commercial pilot and one passenger were seriously injured. The local, aerial observation flight had departed about 1000.
The flight had taken off from runway 32, and had reached an altitude of about 200 feet, when the engine lost power.
The pilot stated:
...the aircraft was producing full power on takeoff roll. [The] aircraft was rotated at 55 knots...climbout was normal...[at] approximately 200 feet...I began to see the airspeed decrease. The aircraft began to sink so I rechecked full power, carburetor heat off, mixture rich...the aircraft continued to sink and lose airspeed...[I] decided it would be safer to turn to the runway...I figured I turned 90 degrees...the airplane must have stalled and then crashed.
Witnesses observed the airplane turn to the left about 180 degrees and nose into the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector was in the "off" position, and no fuel was found in the fuel lines going from the fuel selector to the engine. Fuel was found in the wing fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6964S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067664
- Airframe hours
- 8,510
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Linden Air Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 1995 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- LDJ
- Destination
- LDJ
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 351 total · 50 in this make and model · 310 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWR, 5 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.