Accident Summary
On March 20, 2011, at 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna 150H, registration N6555S, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing near Maury City, Tennessee. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated at Arnold Field (M31) in Halls, Tennessee, around 1300 for a local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Accident Narrative
According to the pilot, while cruising at approximately 500 feet above ground level, he heard a pop from the rear of the airplane. Uncertain of the sound's origin and whether continued flight was safe, he selected a field ahead for a precautionary landing. He reduced engine power and attempted to slip the airplane using opposite aileron and rudder inputs to descend. However, the left rudder pedal would not move, preventing a slip to the left. The airplane approached the field higher and faster than intended, overshooting and crossing a highway before coming to rest in a front yard. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing substantial damage to the engine firewall.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the scene, located about 10 nautical miles southeast of M31. The nose landing gear had collapsed forward, the right side steering linkage was pulled taut, and movement of the left rudder pedal was restricted. After disconnecting the right side steering linkage, the rudder operated normally in both directions, and no other flight control anomalies were noted.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multiengine land and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane, which had expired in 2002. The pilot reported 400 total hours of flight experience, 300 of which were in the accident airplane make and model. Review of the pilot's logbook indicated that he completed a flight review in the accident airplane on September 5, 2009. No subsequent flight experience was documented after that date except for the accident flight.
Maintenance History
According to maintenance logs, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on April 25, 2010. Between the previous annual inspection on April 20, 2009, and the 2010 annual inspection, the airplane had accumulated about 5 flight hours.