Casualties unknown

2005-06-09: Cessna 150H (N6973S) — Morrilton, AR

Morrilton, AR, US

On June 9, 2005, a Cessna 150H (registration N6973S) was involved in an aviation accident near Morrilton, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain proper alignment with the runway during landing. A contributing factor was the dark night lighting condition. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a night approach, a gust of wind caused the airplane to drift left, landing on grass. The pilot performed a soft field landing but struck a drainage ditch, nosing over and coming to rest inverted.

Narrative

The 80-hour pilot reported that during final approach on a night flight, the airplane "experienced a gust of wind" and drifted to the left of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane landed on the grass area adjacent to the runway, bounced, and became airborne. The pilot stated that because he was not sure of the remaining distance to the tree line on the departure end of the runway, he decided to perform a soft field landing on the grass adjacent to the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a drainage ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.

Conditions

A weather reporting station located 20 nautical miles west of the accident site reported, 37 minutes prior to the accident, wind calm and clear sky. The pilot added that other than the "wind gust" experienced on final approach, the wind was calm at the time of the accident. According to the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department, three percent of the moon's visible disc was illuminated, indicating a low-light night environment.

Outcome

The airplane came to rest inverted after nosing over. No other details regarding damage or injuries were provided in the source.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20050705X00920. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.