Cessna 150L N66016

Summary

On 17 June 2009 at about 01:15 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N66016 was involved in an accident near Rockwall, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 2009 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Rockwall, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Phillips Flying Ranch Airport (KT48)

Coordinates

32.8681, -96.2189

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N66016

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Terrell → Terrell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09FA364

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control following a loss of engine power due to contamination in the carburetor. Contributing the severity of the accident was the pilot’s failure to utilize his shoulder harness.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted terrain in a nose low attitude, shortly after departure, and came to rest inverted in an adjacent field. Examination of the airplane and flight controls revealed no anomalies. The signatures on both propeller blades were consistent with little or no power at the time of impact. Corrosion in the carburetor was indicative of the presence of continuous moisture in the carburetor. The local temperature was recorded as 32 degrees Celsius and the dew point was recorded as 22 degrees Celsius; conditions conducive for carburetor icing. The pilot had a history of right shoulder pain intermittently treated with prescription narcotic medication. Toxicology testing suggested that the pilot had used such medication on one or both of the two nights prior to the accident. It is possible that the pilot slept poorly as a result of shoulder pain or medication used to treat that pain, and that his performance during the emergency may have been impaired by resultant fatigue. The pilot did not routinely wear his shoulder harness due to his shoulder pain, and was not wearing it at the time of the accident. His fatal injuries likely resulted from impact with the instrument panel/control yoke, and would have been less probable had the harness been worn. The pilot’s shoulder pain and treatment for it had not been disclosed to the FAA.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.