Overview
On October 21, 2012, at approximately 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150H, registration N7250S, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9) in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The flight instructor and student pilot reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Flight Details
The flight was intended for takeoff and landing practice at 1B9, followed by a practice area flight for aircraft familiarization. The student pilot executed the first landing to a full stop. A second landing attempt was aborted, and another traffic pattern was flown. The CFI assisted with a subsequent touch-and-go landing. After a successful landing, flaps were retracted to 20 degrees, carburetor heat was closed, and full engine power was applied. The aircraft climbed at 600 feet per minute, and flaps were fully retracted when above treetop height.
CFI Account
The CFI reported that when the airplane reached 250 feet above ground level, it stopped climbing. He assumed control, verified engine control positions, and adjusted airspeeds between best rate and best angle of climb, but the airplane continued to descend until it settled into trees off the departure end of the runway. The empennage and tail sections were substantially damaged. The occupants exited the aircraft uninjured and climbed down from the trees.
Examination
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector, the aircraft was removed from the trees by local authorities and placed inverted on the ground. All residual fuel drained, and no fuel was available for testing. Airframe examination revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies.
The engine was removed and sent to the manufacturer for test run under NTSB supervision. On February 28, 2013, the engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously at rated power. It was shut down and restarted several times with consistent results.
Weather Conditions
At 1352, weather reported at Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN), 11 miles southeast of 1B9, included wind from 290 degrees at 10 knots, variable between 270 and 330 degrees. Scattered clouds at 4,800 feet with 10 miles visibility. Temperature was 10°C, dew point 5°C.
Review of Advisory Circular 91-51A notes that carburetor icing can occur in temperatures between 13°C and +21°C when visible moisture or high humidity is present. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, the atmospheric conditions at the time were conducive to serious icing at any power setting.
Pilot Information
The CFI held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with single-engine airplane rating. He reported 1,730 total flight hours, including 53 hours in the accident aircraft make and model.