Cessna 150L N976HB

Summary

On 27 February 2016 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N976HB was involved in an accident near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 February 2016 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Gettysburg Regional Airport (W05)

Coordinates

39.8414, -77.2747

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N976HB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gettysburg → Westminster

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA116

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons because examination of the engine and a successful test-run did not reveal any anomalies that would preclude normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane had 7 gallons of fuel and that he had planned a short flight to a nearby airport to purchase more fuel. During initial climb, about 750 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot applied carburetor heat, but the engine rpm remained at about 1,700, and he was unable to maintain the airplane's altitude. He then turned the airplane back toward the airport and realized that it was not going to reach the runway. The pilot subsequently attempted to land in a field ahead of the runway, but the airplane impacted and came to rest in trees just ahead of the field. The airplane's left wing fuel tank cap was found on the runway; it likely became separated during the takeoff roll. About 2 gallons of fuel was drained from each wing fuel tank after the accident, and more fuel may have leaked out after the accident due to the airplane's position; therefore, it is unlikely that fuel leaked out during the brief flight. The engine was subsequently successfully test-run on the airframe. Review of a carburetor icing chart revealed that the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were outside of the icing envelope. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.