- Date
- May 7, 1997, 10:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Plains, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8093FCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970507012119A
- Case key
- 42598
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 adequately compensate for wind conditions during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident were gusts and crosswinds.
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 stated that he encountered gusting crosswind conditions during a landing in a Cessna 150 with a tailwheel conversion. The pilot could not maintain directional control of the airplane. The airplane ground looped and the right wing contacted terrain. The right wing, right lift strut and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
On May 7, 1997, at 1010 mountain daylight time, N8093F, a Cessna 150F with a tail wheel conversion, operated by the owner/pilot, ground looped during landing rollout in Plains, Montana, and was substantially damaged. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector from Helena, Montana, the pilot encountered gusting wind conditions during a landing on runway 30 at the Plains Airport. The airplane ground looped and the right wing contacted terrain. The right wing, right lift strut and fuselage were substantially damaged. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8093F
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15064193
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lilja, Daniel R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 1997 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- S34
- Airport
- S34 · Plains, runway 30, 3,060 × 50 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 216 total · 88 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 213° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 46 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.
Other investigations on N8093F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.