- Date
- May 10, 1997, 11:13 local (15:13 UTC)
- Place
- New Castle, DE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N23471Cessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970510047059A
- Case key
- 39358
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. A contributing 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 an attempted go-around to runway 27, the aircraft drifted left and the left wing and nose struck the grass median south of the runway. The reported winds were 290 degrees, at 18 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The pilot had 91 hours of flight time.
Factual narrative
On May 10, 1997, at 1113 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 150H, N23471, was substantially damaged during an attempted go-around at New Castle County Airport (ILG), New Castle, Delaware. The certificated private pilot and the passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight between Summit Airport (EVY), Middletown, Delaware, and New Castle. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the pilot was attempting to land on Runway 27. She initiated a go-around, and the airplane "began to 'balloon,' with decreasing airspeed." The pilot stated that she "pitched nose down to attempt to regain airspeed, and then pulled nose up to recover altitude." Shortly thereafter, "the left main wheel touched down hard on the runway surface, and the right wing began to climb, blowing the aircraft into the parallel grass area adjacent to [and to the left of] Runway 27. At that point the left wing hit the grass surface and the nose impacted...the ground...."
Winds, 22 minutes prior to the accident, were reported as being from 290 degrees magnetic, at 18 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
The pilot had 91 hours of total time, including 17 hours in type.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23471
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15068972
- Airframe hours
- 2,817
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ski Safety, Inc.
- Registered owner
- William V. Macbride
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- N92 · Middletown, DE
- Destination
- ILG
- Airport
- ILG · New Castle County Airport, runway 27, 7,165 × 150 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 17 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N23471 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.