Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150H near Sabetha, KS — 2011-08-14

Final reportCEN11LA575
Sign in to save
Date
2011-08-14
Location
Sabetha, KS, USA
Airport
K83
Aircraft
CESSNA 150H
Registration
N6953S
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of certification to act as a pilot and his lack of recent experience.

NTSB narrative

According to witnesses, the airplane stalled four times while on final approach; the airplane would pull up, and then the nose would drop. The airplane finally nosed over from an altitude of 35 to 40 feet and impacted terrain. The pilot did not hold a valid pilot certificate and had been denied medical certification for, among other things, bilateral cataracts. The pilot reported no flight time in the preceding 90 days, and additionally reported that the airplane had no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have recognized lack of recent experience and not attempted takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

Related mishaps