Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150E near Marana, AZ — 2021-02-27

Final reportWPR21LA127
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Date
2021-02-27
Location
Marana, AZ, USA
Airport
AVQ
Aircraft
CESSNA 150E
Registration
N6135T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

NTSB narrative

After accomplishing a touch-and-go landing while in the traffic pattern at an altitude of about 1,300 ft above ground level, the airplane lost total engine power. The pilot was unable to restore power and made a forced landing in a field. When the nose gear was lowered during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The first postaccident test run of the engine revealed that it could run but not continuously. The engine’s carburetor was examined, and no anomalies were noted. During a second test run, the engine started uneventfully and ran for several minutes at various power settings. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. As a result, the investigation was unable to determine the cause of the total loss of engine power during the accident flight based on the available evidence for the investigation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different landing area before realizing it was a ditch.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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