- Date
- October 5, 1993, 16:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3071JCessna 150E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931005037679A
- Case key
- 41835
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment during the landing. The lack of adequate runway alignment marking was a related factor.
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
The pilot landed long on a grass airstrip with a with a gravel road that crossed the strip. He said there was a berm or small downhill grade at the edge of the airstrip. Also, he said the airstrip was not well marked and that it was hard to differentiate between the airstrip and taxiway. The pilot reported that the aircraft landed on the 'downhill grade' and the aircraft started to ground loop. Subsequently, the right main gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the ground.
Factual narrative
On October 5, 1993, at 1650 Pacific daylight time, a tailwheel equipped Cessna 150E, registered to Jerry M. Meng, ground looped and impacted terrain after landing at the Sandy River Airstrip, Sandy, Oregon. There was no flight plan filed for the local personal flight that departed Troutdale, Oregon, at 1545, October 5, 1993. The ATP pilot and the private certificated owner were not injured in the accident. The aircraft was substantially damaged. There was no fire.
The ATP certificated pilot reported he initiated a landing on the grass airstrip during the local proficiency flight and lost directional control during landing roll. He stated that the airstrip is grass, which is not completely level across the width of the airstrip. There is a gravel road across the airport about midway, and there is a berm or small downhill grade on one side of the airstrip. He said the airstrip is not well marked and it is hard to differentiate between the runway and taxiway. He said he apparently landed long beyond the road and on the downhill grade. The airplane started to groundloop shortly after touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3071J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15061171
- Airframe hours
- 4,280
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry M Meng
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1992 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- TTD · Troutdale, OR
- Destination
- TTD
- Airport
- 03S · Sandy River
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
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,650 total · 12 in this make and model · 4,471 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TTD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.