Cessna 150M N4723

Summary

On 8 July 2000 at about 15:05 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N4723 was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado, 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

8 July 2000 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Montrose, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Montrose Regional (MTJ)

Coordinates

38.4909, -107.8692

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N4723

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Blanding

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00LA125

2 people were seriously injured.

An inadvertent stall/mush. Factors were high density altitude, weight and balance exceeded, and pilot fatigue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot made a full power check of the engine and adjusted the mixture prior to takeoff. Not wanting to overheat the cylinders during climbout, he enriched the mixture 'a little.' The pilot said after lifting off, 'it became apparent at around 250 feet that the power was deteriorating and I leaned the mixture a little and made a shallow rudder turn to the right, hoping to pick up speed and get a gradual climb, when the engine quit and the plane mushed to the ground, stalled, and crashed.' Engine examination disclosed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. When questioned by an FAA inspector at the hospital, the pilot said there was 'nothing wrong with the engine,' and that all engine instruments appeared to be normal during the takeoff and climb. He admitted he had not performed weight and balance calculations, nor had he consulted the Cessna 150 PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK for high altitude performance data. It was computed the airplane was 32.8 pounds over maximum gross weight (1,600 pounds), and the density altitude was 7,844 feet msl. The pilot also admitted that 'a sleepless night clouded [his] judgment.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.