- Date
- September 3, 2010, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fields, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2068ZCessna 150C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 77255
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 misjudged landing flare, resulting in a bounced landing and loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inaccurate perception of the airplane’s proximity to the ground as a result of the featureless white landing area.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was performing an off-airport landing on a dry lake bed in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. During landing he flared too high and the airplane touched down hard. The airplane bounced two times and, as it began to slow, it veered to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in structural damage to the right wing. The pilot stated that he felt that his perception of his vertical position was affected by the featureless, white landing surface. Postaccident examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the tailwheel was separated due to a broken spring and remained attached to the fuselage by the tailwheel steering links. The pilot further stated that he felt that the damage to the tailwheel spring was a result of the hard landing and subsequent bounces. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or flight control systems prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an off-field landing on a dry lake bed in a tail-wheel equipped airplane, he "rounded out too high, dropped hard," and the airplane bounced two times. As the airplane began to slow, it veered to the left despite the pilot's control inputs. Subsequently, the right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in structural damage to the right wing. The pilot stated that he felt that his perception of his vertical position was affected by the featureless, white landing surface. Post accident examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the tail wheel was separated due to a "broken" spring and remained attached to the fuselage by the tail wheel steering links. The pilot further stated that he felt that the damage to the tail wheel spring was a result of the hard landing and subsequent bounces. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or flight control systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2068Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 150C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059868
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thompson Jeffrey A
- Registered owner
- Thompson Jeffrey A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 2010 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- E85 · Denio, NV
- Destination
- Fields, OR
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 2, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,558 total · 42 in this make and model · 1,270 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 6, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 261 KB in all.
Other investigations on N2068Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.