QUARTZSITE, AZ, USA
N9903G
Cessna A150L
The student pilot was conducting his third unsupervised cross-country flight. He stated that the aircraft 'seemed like it was low on fuel.' He said he could not find the Blythe Airport on the VFR sectional. He stated he panicked and circled Quartzsite looking for a place to land the airplane. He finally elected to land on a city street. During the landing rollout, the airplane's wing hit a signpost and the propeller contacted the ground.
On July 26, 1997, at 0800 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L, N9903G, collided with a signpost during a precautionary landing at Quartzsite, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the student pilot was not injured. The aircraft was operated as an instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Ryan, Arizona, at 0540 as a solo cross-country flight to Blythe, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the student had canceled his VFR flight plan prior to the precautionary landing. The student pilot was conducting his third unsupervised cross-country flight. He stated that the aircraft "seemed like it was low on fuel." He said he could not find the Blythe Airport on the VFR sectional. He stated he "panicked" and circled Quartzsite looking for a place to land the airplane. He finally elected to land on a city street. During the landing rollout, the airplane's wing hit a signpost and the propeller contacted the ground.
The student pilot's decision to land the airplane on a residential street, where the airplane subsequently hit a sign during the landing roll. Factors related to the accident were the student pilot becoming lost/disoriented during his cross country flight and his subsequent panic.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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