Cessna 150 N7929Z

Summary

On 16 December 2017 at about 19:40 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N7929Z was involved in an accident near Castalia, North Carolina, 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

16 December 2017 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Castalia, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

36.0869, -78.1381

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N7929Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Castalia → Louisburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA048

1 person died.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while performing a turning takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt the takeoff, which he believed required a steep turn at a low altitude to avoid power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was to recover the airplane from a farm field. The pilot walked the field, which was oriented east/west and measured about 1,000 ft long by 500 ft wide. The southeast corner of the field was bisected by high-tension powerlines oriented northeast/southwest. The pilot stated to witnesses that he intended to begin the takeoff roll to the west along the northern border of the field and arc the takeoff path left 90° to the south. Once airborne, the pilot planned to fly the airplane beneath the powerlines before climbing to cruise altitude. Cell phone video of the accident and measurements of the field revealed that, about 300 ft after starting the takeoff roll, the airplane turned sharply left toward the powerlines. About 100 ft later, the airplane pitched up sharply and banked steeply left as it lifted off the ground. The airplane reached near the apex of its climb about 50 ft above the ground in about a 60° left bank; shortly thereafter, the airplane collided with terrain. Throughout the takeoff roll, initial climb, and the flight to ground contact, the engine accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously at high power without interruption. A detailed examination of the airframe and engine revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's original 100-horsepower engine had been replaced with a 150-horspower engine, which likely influenced the pilot's decision to attempt the takeoff. The circumstances of the accident, including the lack of mechanical anomalies and the airplane's steep nose-up, left banking attitude just before impact, are consistent with the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.