Accident Details
On April 21, 2012, at approximately 1630 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150F airplane, registration N7911F, was substantially damaged during takeoff at the Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA), Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The solo student pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Witness and Pilot Accounts
According to an FAA inspector at the accident site, after lifting off, the airplane descended steeply, impacted the runway, and slid off the right side of the runway. The nose wheel broke off, and the engine's lower cowl and forward fuselage bottom were crushed upward. The tail of the airplane broke off at the aft cabin window. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane liftoff from the runway in a steep climb before descending steeply and impacting the ground.
The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, the airplane wanted to fly at 40 miles per hour. He held forward pressure on the yoke to keep the nose wheel on the ground. At 50 miles per hour, he let the nose wheel come off, and the airplane rotated into a steep climb. As he tried to push the nose down, the stall warning horn came on, and the airplane dove toward the ground. He pulled back on the yoke just before impact and did not reduce engine power. He did not remember checking the elevator trim position prior to takeoff.
Previous Flight and Trim Setting
The last person to fly the airplane prior to the accident flight, a student pilot with an instructor, reported that the flight was uneventful. His last landing was a simulated engine out, and he used a good bit of nose-up trim to maintain best angle of glide. He does not routinely return the trim to neutral after a flight.
Inspection by the NTSB investigator-in-charge revealed that the trim was set in almost the full nose-up position. The Cessna 150 Owner's Manual's before-takeoff checklist includes item number 7: Trim Tab — "TAKE-OFF" setting. No evidence of any preimpact flight control interference was found.