Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150 near South Lake Tahoe, CA — 2009-07-05

Final reportWPR09FA326
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Date
2009-07-05
Location
South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Airport
TVL
Aircraft
CESSNA 150
Registration
N51172
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to a malfunctioning carburetor and the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering to return to the runway. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.

NTSB narrative

Witnesses stated that the airplane lifted off and climbed to about 100 feet above the runway in an unusually high nose-up pitch attitude before turning left and descending into terrain. The pilot transmitted a "mayday" call on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency just before the airplane entered the left turn. During postaccident testing of the engine, excessive vibration occurred as the rpm increased, and one of the spark plugs became excessively sooty, indicating an overly rich fuel/air mixture. The carburetor was then replaced and the engine ran normally at all power test points; the previously sooty spark plug was normal after this test. The accident carburetor was then examined, and a pin that secures the carburetor’s metal floats to their pivot point in the carburetor bowl was missing. Marks indicating contact on the edge of a float and on the side of the bowl were found, indicative of rubbing interference with the side of the bowl. The float-to-bowl contact likely altered the fuel quantity in the bowl, which likely created an overly rich mixture that would have further reduced available engine power at the high density altitude at which the airplane was being operated. The density altitude was calculated to be 8,708 feet. High density altitude adversely affects airplane climb performance and requires pilot vigilance to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff and climb.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff due to high nose up pitch attitude.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents22

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