Accident Details
On December 19, 2016, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150M, registration N150EC, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following an in-flight smoke/fire event while maneuvering near Palm Bay, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane had departed Melbourne International Airport (MLB), Melbourne, Florida, about 1300.
Both pilots provided consistent written statements. During recovery from a simulated engine failure, they first smelled and then observed smoke in the cockpit. The instructor took control, selected a forced landing site, and maneuvered for landing. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear settled into low brush and soft terrain, causing the airplane to stop, nosed over, and come to rest inverted.
Pilot Information
The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane. His FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on July 25, 2013. He reported 309 total hours of flight experience, with 3 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
The student pilot was issued a student pilot certificate and an FAA third-class medical certificate on May 19, 2014. She reported 75 total hours of flight experience, with 3 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 1976 and equipped with a Continental O-200-A series, 100-horsepower reciprocating engine. According to maintenance records, the most recent annual inspection was completed on October 31, 2016, at 5,139 total aircraft hours.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the site, and all major components were accounted for. Examination of the engine compartment revealed wires connected to the battery solenoid exhibited thermal damage. When the damaged wires were moved, the navigational gyros energized, lights illuminated, and flaps deployed. The examination was then suspended.
Detailed NTSB examination revealed that the wire (part number PA5, 4 gauge) connecting the battery solenoid to the starter solenoid displayed chafing and thermal damage to the insulation along a 3-inch section. When placed in its approximate normally-installed location, the burned area corresponded to the round shape of the right rear muffler. Multiple 18-gauge wires in the area also exhibited melted insulation. The back plate of the right muffler was no longer attached and showed evidence of corrosion, but it could not be determined whether the separation was due to corrosion or impact forces.