- Date
- May 18, 2007, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9397UCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070518008309A
- Case key
- 65833
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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for gusty crosswind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include gusty crosswinds, and a ditch near the runway environment.
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
Soon after touchdown in gusty crosswind conditions, the aircraft began rocking from side to side. The student pilot was unable to keep the aircraft aligned with the runway, and soon thereafter it departed the left side of the landing surface. After departing the runway it crossed an unpaved median and a taxiway, and then encountered a small ditch. The encounter with the ditch stopped the aircraft, and also resulted in the aircraft's right wing coming in contact with the terrain. There was no evidence of any anomaly in the rudder control system or the nosewheel steering system. In a post-accident interview, the pilot stated that the crosswind was more than he was able to handle.
Factual narrative
On May 18, 2007, approximately 1415 mountain daylight time, the right wing of a Cessna 150M, N9397U, impacted the ground off the side of runway 30 at Spanish Fork Airport, Spanish Fork, Utah. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the partnership of which the student pilot is a member, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional proficiency flight, which departed the same airport about 15 minutes prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, while landing in gusty crosswind conditions on runway 30, the aircraft ballooned during the landing flare. When it touched down, it began rocking from side to side, and because he was unable to keep it aligned with the runway centerline, it soon departed the left side of the runway. After departing the runway, it crossed an unpaved median and a taxiway, and then encountered a small ditch. The encounter with the ditch stopped the aircraft, and also resulted in the aircraft's right wing coming in contact with the terrain. According to the FAA Inspector who later looked at the aircraft, there was no evidence of any anomaly in the rudder control system or the nosewheel steering system. In addition, the aircraft was looked at by an airframe and powerplant mechanic based at the Spanish Fork Airport, and he confirmed that there were no issues with the nose wheel steering or rudder systems. In a post-accident interview, the pilot stated that the crosswind was more than he was able to handle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9397U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078345
- Airframe hours
- 5,239
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kerry D. Welch
- Registered owner
- DBL Systems , Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2007
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork Airport, runway 30, 5,700 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 49 total · 47 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.