Cessna 150 N714MS

Summary

On 7 November 1989 at about 22:05 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N714MS, operated by Darren A. Delaney, was involved in an accident near Birchwood, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 November 1989 at 22:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Birchwood, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Birchwood (Z15)

Coordinates

61.4106, -149.1707

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N714MS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Darren A. Delaney

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC90LA011

Nobody was injured.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. RELATED FACTORS WERE: DARK NIGHT, SNOW COVERED RUNWAY, INADEQUATE SNOW REMOVAL FROM THE RUNWAY BY PERSONNEL (WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SNOW REMOVAL), AND THE SNOWBANK (BERM).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT BEFORE HE STARTED HIS TAKEOFF, HE COULD SEE RWY LIGHTS AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY. HE ALIGNED THE ACFT FOR TAKEOFF BY REFERENCING THE SNOW BERMS (BESIDE THE RWY) & BY SIGHTING DOWN THE RWY. THE TAKEOFF ROLL SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL HE ROTATED THE ACFT FOR LIFT-OFF. AS THE ACFT LIFTED OFF, IT STRUCK THE SNOW BERM ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY & NOSED OVER. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ARPT PSNL HAD PLOWED THE RIGHT BERM AT A 20 DEG ANGLE AWAY FROM CENTERLINE OF THE RWY TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS ALLOWED TO ANGLE BACK ABRUPTLY TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THE ACDNT OCCURRED WHERE THE RIGHT BERM ANGLED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.