Cessna 150F N6296R

Summary

On 20 July 2000 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 150F registered N6296R, operated by Craig L. Ketchum, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2000 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.1609, -149.9908

Aircraft

Cessna 150F

Registration

N6296R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Craig L. Ketchum

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00LA092

2 people were seriously injured.

The failure of the pilot-in-command (CFI) to adequately supervise the instructional flight. Factors in the accident were an inadvertent spin entry by the student, and the pilot-in-command's failure to utilize adequate altitude for a stall demonstration.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the first pilot, a flight instructor and owner of the accident airplane, he was providing flight instruction to his daughter in a float-equipped Cessna 150F airplane. He was demonstrating an approach to landing stall about 2,000 feet mean sea level. The airplane was configured with 20 degrees of flaps. When the airplane stalled, the student pilot cross-controlled the airplane. The left wing dropped and the airplane entered an uncommanded, inverted left spin. The instructor was able to recover the airplane to an upright attitude about 300 feet above the ground by adding engine power. The airplane continued to descend in a nose down attitude during the recovery, and struck the ground. The airplane had numerous modifications, including a 160 horsepower engine. The airplane had fixed floats installed, and qualified for the float installation when the previous owner/mechanic designated that the airplane be operated as a Cessna 150G. Changes from wheels to floats resulted in several configuration changes including propellers, and propeller spacers, larger wheels and tires, and the use of a heavier than normal nose wheel strut assembly. As a floatplane, the airplane was required to be operated in the normal category, with intentional spins prohibited. No data was available to the pilot about the consequences, or recovery techniques for an inadvertent spin. A center of gravity calculation of the accident flight placed the airplane within weight and balance limits. The presence of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and a prescription anti-depression medication, were found in the pilot's toxicological samples.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.