Cessna 150 N3515J

Summary

On 4 November 2018 at about 14:33 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N3515J was involved in an accident near Woodstock, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 November 2018 at 14:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Woodstock, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Air Acres (5GA4)

Coordinates

34.1114, -84.4492

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N3515J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Woodstock → Woodstock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA037

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the initial climb in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot and student pilot passenger were departing on a local personal flight from a 2,000-ft-long turf runway. The passenger reported that the airplane seemed to "struggle to climb" after clearing trees near the end of the runway. He heard the stall warning horn activate, and the airplane descended into trees and impacted the ground. Witnesses reported that the airplane "wobbled" as it climbed and that the right wing dropped before the airplane crashed into the woods. Although the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed about 8 years before the accident, examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of a preaccident malfunction or anomaly. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed no current flight review or recent flight experience, and the pilot did not hold a current medical certificate. Reported wind conditions at a nearby airport indicated that a quartering tailwind may have been present about the time of the accident, with gusts up to 20 knots. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the initial climb in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.