Cessna 150 Safety Record

A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO RAISE THE FLAPS WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. THE FLAP FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT FULL FLAP TAKEOFF WERE THE RESULT OF THE OPERATOR'S IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE OPERATOR'S USE OF A CUSTOM CHECKLIST THAT DEVIATED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S APPROVED CHECKLIST. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULLY RETRACTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, AND THE OPERATOR'S INADEQUATE INITIAL TRAINING OF THE PILOT.

INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) AND FLIGHT IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE CFI, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPEED FOR THE TURNING MANEUVER (TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE) AND INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: IMPROPER UUSE OF THE FLAPS, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND A HIGH OBSTRUCTION.

FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE STALL SPEED, AND A STALL/SPIN ENCOUNTERED WITH INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THUNDERSTORM, PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING NOT OBTAINED AND POOR WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE PILOT.

THE SELECTION OF THE SOFT SANDY STRIP FOR TAKEOFF BY THE PILOT AND HIS PREMATURE LIFTOFF COMBINED TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN CLIMB AIRSPEED BEFORE COLLIDING WITH BUSHES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION 1.6 FLYING HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE MIXTURE CONTROL BECOMING DISCONNECTED.

FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, WHILE ABORTING A BOUNCED LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, THE RIGHT CROSSWIND, AND THE PROXIMITY OF TREES.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION DURING TAKEOFF. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT AND HIS INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT. THE STUDENT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE WAS CONSIDERED A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER AND THE DELAY IN PERFORMING REMEDIAL ACTION UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO LAND AT THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT AND THE RESULTING HARD LANDING. DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE PRECLUDED A GO-AROUND AND RESULTED IN THE INTENTIONAL SWERVE INTO A RIVER TO AVOID INJURIES TO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND HIS MISCALCULATION OF FUEL, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION FROM LACK OF FUEL; AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE POWER LINES DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE POWER LINES WERE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE STUDENT PILOT, AND HIS INADVERTENT DESCENT INTO THE TERRAIN. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

THE PILOT'S CONFUSION AND DIVERTED ATTENTION REGARDING THE MULTIPLE BANNER RELEASE SYSTEM IN THE COCKPIT RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN INTO THE TERRAIN FROM A LOW ALTITUDE. ALSO CAUSAL WAS THE PILOT ATTEMPTING THE ABRUPT MANEUVER AT THE LOW AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE.

FUEL SYSTEM EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ON THE GROUND, PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT DID NOT ADEQUATELY PLAN FOR THE FLIGHT IN THAT HE DID NOT CALCULATE THE FUEL CONSUMPTION ACCURATELY, FAILED TO PROVIDE FOR ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES, AND ALSO FAILED TO LAND AT AIRPORTS SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION EVEN THOUGH HE WAS AWARE OF HIS LOW FUEL STATE.

STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND THE SUBSEQUENT ABORTED TAKEOFF WAS PERFORMED WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING TO SUCCESSFULLY STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN NOT MAINTAINING PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE CROSSWIND AND SOFT/WET TERRAIN WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

THE PILOTS FAILURE TO ACCURATELY CALCULATE FUEL CONSUMPTION DURING PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION AND DURING THE FLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION.