Cessna 150M N66748

Summary

On 11 August 2021 at about 14:00 local time, a Cessna 150M registered N66748 was involved in an accident near Wadsworth, Ohio, 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

11 August 2021 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wadsworth, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Weltzien Skypark (15G)

Coordinates

41.0300, -81.8000

Aircraft

Cessna 150M

Registration

N66748

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA381

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat when the power loss occurred.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, she noticed that the airplane was not climbing normally and heard the stall warning horn. The pilot then noticed the engine speed was rapidly decreasing from 2,500 to 1,500 rpm. The pilot established the airplane’s best glide speed and prepared for a forced landing to a corn field. She did not apply carburetor heat. After touchdown, the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder.   A postaccident examination of the engine revealed low compression on the No.1 cylinder, but, after staking the valves, compression increased with no leaking past the valves. Also, the airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed 4 days before the accident with normal compressions noted. Thus, the low compression during the postaccident examination was likely a result of the accident and the airplane remaining in an inverted position in the field for about 4 days after the accident. When the temperature and dew point of the area surrounding the accident site were entered into a carburetor icing probability chart, the result was in the “moderate icing – cruise power” and “serious icing – glide power” category. When the pilot was asked how the carburetor heat was checked, she stated that she turned it on, saw a drop in engine rpm and immediately turned it off. Thus, the loss of engine power was likely due to carburetor icing that accumulated before and during the takeoff, and the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat when the engine speed began to decrease. The momentary application of carburetor heat before takeoff was likely not sufficient to reduce or eliminate the ice buildup.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.