History of Flight
On October 11, 2008, at 1332 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150G, N3623J, operated by a student pilot, impacted trees and terrain during initial climb from a private airstrip near Cedar Lake, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The student pilot, acting as pilot-in-command, was seriously injured; his passenger was fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with an intended destination of Clare, Michigan.
The student pilot and his passenger had flown earlier from James Clements Municipal Airport (3CM) near Bay City, Michigan, to the private airstrip owned by the Great Lakes Adventist Academy near Cedar Lake. The student pilot performed the landing. They attended a reunion for approximately 3 hours before departing for another event near Clare, Michigan.
According to the student pilot, the southeasterly grass runway was "very bumpy" and it took more than half the available runway length to achieve liftoff. After liftoff, the airplane was unable to clear the 60–70 foot high tree line at the departure end of the runway. The airplane impacted several trees before descending nose first into a residential backyard. An engine compartment fire ensued after impact and was extinguished by first responders.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command, age 37, held a student pilot certificate with a solo endorsement for a Cessna 150. His most recent 90-day solo endorsement was February 4, 2008. His last aviation medical examination was August 31, 2007, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. His most recent logbook entry was March 6, 2008, showing 25.3 total flight hours, 13.9 of which were pilot-in-command. All flight experience was in single-engine land airplanes, with 24.2 hours in the accident airplane.
The passenger, age 60, held an expired student pilot certificate issued February 11, 2002, with a medical certificate requiring corrective lenses. His flight logbook was not recovered; he reported 45 hours of flight experience at the time of his medical application.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1967 Cessna 150G, Commuter, serial number 15064923, a high-wing, all-metal, single-engine, two-place monoplane with externally braced wings, wing flaps, and fixed tricycle landing gear. It received a standard airworthiness certificate on August 22, 1966, and had accumulated 4,369.6 total service hours. Its last annual inspection was October 8, 2008, with 1.5 hours since. The engine was a 100-horsepower Teledyne Continental Motors O-200-A (serial 64668-6-A) with 88.6 hours since overhaul on May 8, 2006. The propeller was a two-bladed, fixed-pitch McCauley 1A100/MCM/6950 (hub serial F3739).
According to FAA records, the student pilot was the registered owner, but reportedly sold the airplane to the passenger a few days prior. A weight and balance record was not found; the student pilot estimated empty weight at 1,080 pounds. Cessna delivery documents showed an original empty weight of 1,087 pounds. The student pilot weighed 219 pounds; the passenger, 195 pounds. The student pilot reported about 17 gallons (100 pounds) of fuel. Based on available data, the aircraft weight was at or near its certified maximum takeoff weight of 1,600 pounds. No unresolved airworthiness issues were found in the records.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather reporting station was Gratiot Community Airport (KAMN), about 15 miles east-southeast, reporting at 1336: wind 160° at 4 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 22°C; dew point 8°C; altimeter 30.34 inHg.
Airport Information
The private airstrip, owned by Great Lakes Adventist Academy near Cedar Lake, Michigan, had two runways: 12/30 (2,331 by 100 feet, grass/turf) and 02/20 (1,957 by 100 feet, grass/turf). A 60–70 foot high tree line was at the departure end of runway 12. Elevation was 896 feet msl.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest inverted in a residential clearing east of the airport, separated from runway 12 by a forested area of 60–70 foot trees. Damaged tree branches 3–5 inches in diameter were found, with cut marks from a rotating propeller. The wreckage was oriented on a 140° magnetic heading. All structural components were at the site; flight control surfaces remained attached. Both wings had crushed leading edges. The right wing outboard and left stabilizer showed semicircular crush damage from tree impacts. Wing flaps were fully retracted. Control cable continuity was established. The empennage separated from the tailcone but remained attached by control cables. The elevator trim was neutral. The fuel selector was on; the firewall-mounted fuel strainer was broken with no fuel present. A red pitot-tube cover was found near the left wing leading edge. The engine was pushed aft into the cabin. Both propeller blades showed aft bending and leading edge damage; one had extensive twist and chordwise scratches.
Survival Aspects
The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses, which were not required at manufacture. Both lap belts were found clasped. The right lap belt was cut in two places by first responders to remove the passenger. The left lap belt's outboard anchor clip was not attached to the aircraft structure anchor bolt.
Tests and Research
A portable GPS unit recovered from the wreckage provided position data for the accident flight. The airplane began its takeoff roll at 1331:49 from the approach end of runway 12, elevation 896 feet msl. At 1332:23, it had traveled 1,788 feet laterally at 901 feet msl, then made a 10° right turn immediately after liftoff. Between the final two data points at 1332:29 and 1332:31, average ground speed was about 53 knots. At 1332:31, altitude was 964 feet msl. The final data point was 233 feet from the accident site, which was at 924 feet msl.
Based on the pilot operating handbook, the takeoff ground roll on a level grass runway without headwind was about 885 feet; distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle was about 1,663 feet. Zero-bank stall speed with flaps retracted was 55 mph (48 knots).
The engine was sent to the manufacturer for an operational test run under NTSB supervision. Installed in a test cell with a test club propeller (shimmed to compensate for a deformed crankshaft propeller flange), the engine started on first attempt, idled smoothly, and was run incrementally to 2,568 rpm over 30 minutes without anomaly. Throttle cycling showed no hesitation or interruption. The engine demonstrated ability to produce rated horsepower.