Cessna 150 N126NK

Summary

On 23 February 1992 at about 03:40 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N126NK, operated by Veda Corporation, was involved in an accident near San Jose, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 1992 at 03:40

Classification

Accident

Location

San Jose, California, United States

Nearest airport

Reid-Hillview (RHV)

Coordinates

37.3307, -121.7709

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N126NK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Veda Corporation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA124

2 people had minor injuries.

THAT THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S (CFI) MISJUDGED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN A LONG LANDING, THE CFI'S IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO A GO-AROUND WITH PARTIAL POWER, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CFI TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL IN THE INITIAL CLIMB SEGMENT OF THE PARTIAL POWER GO-AROUND RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AFTER THE INITIAL STUCK VALVE DEFICIENCY AND THE DECISION OF THE CFI TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN DISCREPANCY.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A CESSNA 150 CRASHED AFTER EXPERIENCING AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 31R THE CFI TRANSMITTED A 'MAY DAY' CALL TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER STATING THE AIRPLANE HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT EXECUTED A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 13L. THE CFI THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CLIMB TO 50 FEET AND THEN ENTER A RIGHT SKIDDING TURN, STALL, AND SPIN, IMPACTING THE GROUND OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. THE CFI INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD PREVIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONED WITH A STICKING VALVE AND THOUGHT THE VALVE WAS STICKING AGAIN. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMIATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER ROCKER ARM VALVE MALFUNCTIONED AS A RESULT OF A FRACTURED ROCKER ARM SHAFT BOSS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.