Accident Overview
On December 28, 2008, at 1607 central standard time, a Cessna 150F was substantially damaged after impacting trees near Palestine, Texas. The private pilot and a passenger both received serious injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot and was on the ramp area of Palestine Municipal Airport (PSN) at the time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight was originating.
Pilot Account
The pilot provided a statement to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a completed Form 6120 to the investigator in charge. He stated that he planned to give his 6-year-old granddaughter a flight in the airplane. After two failed attempts to start the engine, the pilot recalled turning off the ignition and master switches. With the passenger still buckled in the passenger seat, he began manually turning the propeller in an effort to "limber the oil." During the third rotation, the engine started. The pilot was injured as the airplane moved forward. The airplane continued to gain speed as it traversed the airport before impacting trees. The passenger was injured in the crash.
Damage and Response
The airplane sustained damage to the wing spars, fuselage, and empennage. In an interview with the responding FAA inspector, a firefighter reported turning off the key switch (magneto switch) and the fuel shutoff during the initial response.