Cessna 150M N63387

Summary

On 4 March 1998 at about 14:06 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N63387 was involved in an accident near Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1998 at 14:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N63387

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lawrence → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD98LA034

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to a fractured number two cylinder exhaust valve and cracked cylinder. Contributing factors were the operator's allowance of the time between engine overhaul to be exceeded and the trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

In level flight at 2,000 feet, the engine began running rough with an associated vibration. The CFI took control of the airplane and the vibration became stronger. After shutting down the engine, the CFI attempted to land on an abandoned runway. The airplane impacted trees approximately 100 feet beyond the departure end of the abandoned runway. Examination of the engine logbooks and discussions with the operator disclosed that the engine was 362 hours beyond Time Between Overhaul (TBO) and automotive fuel was utilized without a Supplemental Type Certificate. Disassembly of the engine revealed the number two cylinder's exhaust valve was fractured and the cylinder was cracked. An examination of the fractured exhaust valve by the Materials Laboratory Division of the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the 'shank area immediately adjacent to the fracture was reduced in size, and the fracture features were indicative of bending overstress separation with no indications of pre-existing cracking.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.