Cessna 150 N4242U

Summary

On 18 March 2007 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N4242U was involved in an accident near Brownfield, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 March 2007 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Brownfield, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Terry County (KBFE)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N4242U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Levelland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA085

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the gusty wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The single-engine airplane impacted terrain while performing basic flight maneuvers. The 184-hour instrument rated private pilot reported in the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report) that he had flown out 25 nautical miles to their local practice area to execute ground reference maneuvers. He added that he first executed S-turns across a road and then practiced "turns around a point" at an altitude of approximately 800 feet above ground level. The pilot added that while executing the turns around a point maneuver, the airplane encountered "a sudden downdraft" that "pushed the airplane to the ground." The pilot's efforts to control the airplane were not effective and the airplane impacted a soft wheat field in the upright position. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the accident site, stated that upon impact with the ground "the nose landing gear dug-into the soft soil, sheared-off, and the aircraft flipped upside down approximately 200 feet from the initial impact point." He further stated that he found the nose gear assembly approximately 50 feet south of the resting point of the airplane. The pilot and student pilot passenger received minor injuries and were able to exit the airplane unassisted. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage, wings, and engine mounts. An engine examination and teardown was performed by an airframe and powerplant mechanic in the presence of the FAA inspector. No engine anomalies were found that could have prevented normal operation. The weather at the nearest weather reporting facility located approximately 5 miles to the east of the accident site, reported wind from the southwest at 14 knots gusting to 18 knots, clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and barometric pressure setting of 29.87 inches of Mercury.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.