Cessna 150 N1193Y

Summary

On 26 July 2018 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N1193Y was involved in an accident near Matthews, North Carolina, United States. One person was 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

26 July 2018 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Matthews, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.1603, -80.7206

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N1193Y

Category

Airplane

Year built

1962

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charlotte → Charlotte

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA202

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's improper decision to conduct a solo flight without an endorsement to do so and to perform an off-airport landing based on a perceived performance issue with the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of training and overall experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was conducting a local, solo flight. He reported that all ground operations were normal and that no water was found in the fuel during the preflight inspection. He took off with full tanks of fuel. About 40 minutes into the flight and about 1,800 ft mean sea level, he noticed that the airplane was "sluggish" and would not "maintain lift," but all engine indications were normal, and he noted no sputtering or hesitation. The pilot applied carburetor heat, and the engine speed dropped by about 300 rpm. Because the airplane continued to fly sluggishly, the pilot turned off the carburetor heat and then decided to conduct a forced landing in a grass field, during which the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane during the flight and that the engine could produce 2,750 rpm (the maximum-rated rpm) at full power. He added that the high ambient temperature of 100°F and the full fuel load may have contributed to the airplane's sluggishness. A review of the student's logbook revealed that he had received only 3.1 hours of dual instruction and 15 hours of solo flight experience and that he did not have an instructor's endorsement to fly solo. The student's lack of training and experience likely contributed to his perception that there was a performance problem with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.