Cessna 150H N50439

Summary

On 7 August 2022 at about 13:35 local time, a Cessna 150H registered N50439 was involved in an accident near Ellenville, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 August 2022 at 13:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Ellenville, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Joseph Y Resnick (N89)

Coordinates

41.7279, -74.3774

Aircraft

Cessna 150H

Registration

N50439

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Shelbyville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA363

1 person had minor injuries.

Both pilots’ decision to perform the takeoff near maximum gross weight with 10° of flaps, contrary to the owner’s manual procedure, which resulted in the airplane’s degraded climb performance approaching high terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot-rated passenger, who was accompanied by a commercial pilot, was performing the takeoff at near-maximum gross weight after purchasing the airplane. The pilot-rated passenger took off with 10° of flaps for “extra lift to get us away from the ground.” Both pilots reported that there was high terrain near the airport. The airplane lifted off with about 1,000 ft of runway remaining, climbed to about 100 ft above the runway, and then would no longer climb. The commercial pilot took control of the airplane and looked for a place to land. The stall warning horn sounded, so he lowered the nose to maintain flying airspeed. He maneuvered around some power lines, raised the flaps, and the airplane crashed onto a roadway. It came to rest on an embankment adjacent to the road and was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the wreckage, including a test run of the engine, revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or anomaly. The owner’s manual for the airplane stated that normal and obstacle clearance takeoffs should be performed with flaps up. Use of 10° flaps will shorten the takeoff roll; however, that advantage is lost in the climb to a 50-ft obstacle. The manual further notes that use of 10° flaps should only be used for takeoffs with minimum ground runs or soft/rough fields with no obstacles ahead.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.