Cessna 150 N22979

Summary

On 5 October 2020 at about 02:15 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N22979 was involved in an accident near Rimrock, Arizona, 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

5 October 2020 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Rimrock, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Rimrock Airport (48AZ)

Coordinates

34.6509, -111.7882

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N22979

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cottonwood → Rimrock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR21LA005

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a flight in dark night conditions, and with an unreliable airspeed indicator, he flew the airplane in reference to engine rpm and the vertical speed indicator. Upon reaching his destination airport he activated the airport-controlled lighting, and while preparing to land, and sensing that he was high on final approach, he selected full flaps and reduced power. Upon reaching the runway threshold and feeling that he was at the proper height above the surface, he reduced the power to idle. Then, as he flew past “the numbers” he increased pitch, flared slightly too early and struck the runway surface firmly and too fast. The airplane subsequently bounced, returned to the runway, then veered rapidly to the right and off the side of the runway about 800 ft beyond the threshold before coming to a stop upright. Both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.