Cessna 150M N66117

Summary

On 2 June 2017 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N66117 was involved in an accident near Banning, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 June 2017 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Banning, California, United States

Nearest airport

Banning Muni (BNG)

Coordinates

33.9239, -116.8711

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N66117

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redlands → Redlands

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17FA118

1 person died.

The flight instructor's decision to continue the takeoff in gusting tailwind and high density altitude conditions, which significantly reduced airplane performance, and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting an instructional flight. After completing airwork, they returned to the airport to perform touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The student reported that the first landing was "hard" and that the wind was gusting; however, they continued the subsequent takeoff. He reported that, during the initial climb, the airplane drifted right of the runway centerline. The student pilot had the flight instructor take over control of the airplane and shortly thereafter, it impacted trees. A witness reported that, about 100 ft above ground level during the takeoff, the airplane began to lose altitude and the wings wobbled; it impacted trees near railroad tracks and a highway adjacent to the airport. Another witness described a similar sequence of events and stated that there was, "more than enough runway and overrun to abort but [the airplane] seemed to keep trying to climb until it finally crashed." Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Wind conditions recorded by nearby weather reporting stations were consistent with an 8 knot gusting tailwind. Additionally, the density altitude about the time of the accident was 8,500 ft, which would have resulted in a reduced climb rate. It is likely that the combination of wind conditions and the density altitude greatly reduced the airplane's takeoff performance and that the instructor subsequently exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting to climb the airplane, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.