On November 8, 2005, a Cessna 150F (registration N8903S) was involved in an aviation accident near Mesa, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the failure of the flap motor fuse that rendered the flaps inoperable during a critical phase of flight. Factors in the accident were the lack of suitable terrain to perform an emergency landing and the owner's use of nonapproved fuses for the flap motor… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a touch-and-go landing, the flaps failed to retract after rotation, prompting the instructor to land hard in a parking lot to avoid obstacles.
Accident Sequence
The airplane was conducting a touch-and-go takeoff. During the initial climb, the flaps failed to retract. The student pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane, had been flying the aircraft through the landing portion of the touch-and-go until rotation. Upon rotation, the airplane pitched up steeply, and the certified flight instructor (CFI) took control. The CFI realized the flaps would not retract and attempted to maintain control while the student tried to replace the fuse for the flap motor. Noticing obstructions in the flight path, the CFI chose to land in a parking lot. Due to the limited size of the parking lot, the instructor intentionally executed a hard touchdown to avoid colliding with the surrounding fencing.
Findings
Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed that a serviceable fuse was installed for the flap motor, and the motor operated the right wing flap with no abnormalities. A package of fuses other than the manufacturer's recommended type was found in the airplane's glove compartment. The owner had replaced the fuse for the flap motor several weeks prior to the accident; the original fuse was lost during recovery. The accident sequence occurred after the flight had performed several maneuvers before returning to the airport for touch-and-go takeoffs and landings.