Cessna 150 N21979

Summary

On 12 September 2019 at about 13:45 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N21979 was involved in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were 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

12 September 2019 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

General Dewitt Spain (M01)

Coordinates

35.2011, -90.0539

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N21979

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Memphis → Memphis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA543

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that, during landing, she flared the airplane early and that it then skipped on the runway during touchdown. The airplane drifted right, and the flight instructor then took the flight controls, but the airplane continued right. The airplane then lifted off about midfield, spun, and came to rest in grass right of the runway. The flight instructor reported that he was a new instructor. He added that, while the student was landing, the approach was high and slow as the airplane crossed the threshold, that the student flared "very high," and that he attempted to instruct her on how to recover, but she unexpectedly "pitched [the airplane] up further." He took control of the airplane, applied full power, retracted the flaps, and attempted a go-around. He added that the airplane was struggling to stay airborne and that he was concerned that it might impact some construction cranes beyond the end of the runway, so he turned right, and the airplane impacted the ground right of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mounts. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.