Cessna 150 N7340X

Summary

On 25 June 2024 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N7340X was involved in an accident near Swans Island, Maine, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 June 2024 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Swans Island, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Banks (ME5)

Coordinates

44.1655, -68.4291

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N7340X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA278

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s delayed decision to abort the landing. Contributing was his decision to land downwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the tailwind for the selected turf runway was “5 to 10 [knots] with some gusting.” He said the winds “did not seem unruly…” so he continued the approach and once he was close to the ground the winds were “very flukey.” He said with full reduction of throttle, 30° of flaps, and speed slowed to “landing” the airplane would not “settle down.” At touchdown, the pilot said he was “too long.” He then increased throttle, and “released the flaps and carb heat to go around.” The pilot said that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane preventing normal operation, it simply did not have the performance capability to outclimb the trees. The pilot said the airplane’s left wing brushed a tree reducing its airspeed, and the stall warning sounded intermittently before the airplane “careened” into treetops before it settled nose down onto the ground. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage.  When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot said a go-around performed “sooner” than the touch-and-go landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.