Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150 near Weslaco, TX — 2025-03-05

Final reportCEN25LA110
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Date
2025-03-05
Location
Weslaco, TX, USA
Airport
KTXW
Aircraft
CESSNA 150
Registration
N3341V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare while attempting to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a practice landing when the airplane touched down hard on the tailwheel, resulting in substantial damage to the aft fuselage. The pilot attempted to abort the landing but was unable to manipulate the elevator control surface due to the damage. During the attempt to abort the landing, the airplane struck a sign on the left side of the runway that separated the right main landing gear from the fuselage. The airplane then ground looped to the right, exited the right side of the runway, and came to rest. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 32 with wind from 070° at 10 knots. The pilot reported having 5 hours as pilot in command (PIC) in the accident airplane before the accident and that he had not flown in about 4 months. The combination of inexperience and not having flown recently likely affected the pilot’s performance.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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