Cessna 150M N704QJ

Summary

On 21 June 2000 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N704QJ was involved in an accident near El Monte, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 2000 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

El Monte, California, United States

Coordinates

34.0802, -118.0292

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N704QJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA237

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate maintenance inspection by other maintenance personnel of the exhaust system that resulted in an eroded muffler that allowed hot gases to impinge on magneto wiring and resulted in loss of engine power. A factor was the soft terrain at the forced landing site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise, the engine lost power then nosed over during a forced landing in an open, dirt field. No mechanical anomalies were experienced with the engine sound or gages prior to the loss of engine power. About 10 minutes into the flight the engine began to run roughly. The CFI performed the emergency checklist and picked one of two open fields to make a forced landing. During the approach to the second field, a construction vehicle drove into their flight path. The CFI shortened the approach and landed in the first field. On the landing roll the nose wheel dug into the dirt and the airplane nosed over. The external examination of the engine revealed that the left muffler end cap had separated in an outward direction from the muffler about 350 degrees in circumference in a 45-degree angle. This allowed heat to be directed at the firewall. The P-leads located within the electrical harness were melted, which allowed the conductors to short within the wires.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.