SEA94LA009

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150E · Sandy, OR · October 5, 1993

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

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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.

On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding
Airport facilities,runway marking - inadequateFactor
Proper alignment - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Main gear collapsedLanding - roll
Landing gear,main gear - overload

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.