Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary FTW90FA168

BATON ROUGE, LA, USA

Aircraft #1

N66369

CESSNA 150M

Analysis

THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED HIS PILOT'S LICENSE THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ON THE ACCIDENT DAY, HE HAD GIVEN HIS MOTHER A RIDE, THEN TOOK UP HIS FATHER. TOWER SAID TAKEOFF AND CLIMB WAS NORMAL TO 200 TO 300 FEET AGL. PILOT SAID HE TURNED AROUND FOR IMMEDIATE LANDING, THEN SAID, 'I CAN'T HEAR YOU.' FROM A NOSE HIGH, STEEP LEFT BANK, THE AIRPLANE WENT TO THE GROUND. IT IMPACTED NEAR VERTICAL. WITNESS FIRST SAID HE HEARD A LOUD BANG, THEN SAW AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. HE LATER SAID HE HEARD A SPUTTERING SOUND, THEN HEARD A LOUD BANK, THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. WITH IMPACT DAMAGE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, ON TEST STAND, ENGINE LATER RAN TO 2,710 RPM. DURING INVESTIGATION, RIGHT DOOR WAS FOUND WITH DIAGONAL IMPACT MARK THAT MATCHED RIGHT WING STRUT. THE RIGHT DOOR LOCK AND THE DOOR-POST-LOCK- RECEPTACLE WERE NOT DAMAGED. THERE WAS PAINT MATCHING THE RIGHT DOOR, ON THE RIGHT WING STRUT.

Probable Cause and Findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL DURING THE STEEP TURN. A FACTOR WAS THE DOOR OPENING IN FLIGHT.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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