History of Flight
On December 16, 2017, at 1440 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150C, registration N7929Z, sustained substantial damage when it struck terrain following takeoff from a farm field in Castalia, North Carolina. The commercial pilot, who owned and operated the airplane under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for Triangle North Executive Airport (LHZ) in Louisburg, North Carolina.
The purpose of the flight was to retrieve the airplane after a student pilot had made a precautionary landing there the previous day. The student reported that he had reduced engine power and airspeed after encountering turbulence; the engine then became unresponsive to throttle inputs, and he performed a successful landing to the field.
The student pilot accompanied his father (an airline transport pilot), a mechanic, and the accident pilot (the owner) to the field to recover the airplane. The accident pilot and mechanic sampled the fuel, examined and test-ran the engine, found no anomalies, and determined the airplane was ready for flight. The field was oriented east/west, about 1,000 ft long and 500 ft wide. High-tension power lines bisected the eastern and southern borders diagonally, with an estimated minimum height of 40 ft above ground. The southern border had a small pond and a creek bed.
The student pilot and his father reported that the pilot walked the field and planned a takeoff roll to the west along the northern border, then arcing the path 90° south, flying under the powerlines, over the creek, then climbing. The property owner recorded the takeoff. Video review and FAA measurements showed that 300 ft after starting the takeoff roll, the airplane turned sharply left toward the powerlines. After 400 ft, it pitched up sharply and banked steeply left as it lifted off. The airplane reached about 50 ft above ground in a 60° left bank, then the camera panned down; it later captured the collision with terrain. Throughout the takeoff, the engine ran smoothly at high power without interruption.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued January 11, 2017, at which time he reported 8,400 total hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1963. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on October 20, 2017, at 2,068 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1440, the weather reported at LHZ, 10 miles west of the accident site, included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, calm winds. The temperature was 8°C, dew point -5°C, and altimeter setting 30.21 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was examined at the accident site by two FAA inspectors; all major components were accounted for. The instrument panel and engine compartments separated from the cockpit but remained attached by wires, cables, and floor structure. The propeller was partially buried, and the engine and instrument panel showed thermal damage from a small postcrash fire. Control continuity was established from the flight controls to the flight control surfaces; one aileron control cable had fractures consistent with overstress. A detailed examination at a recovery facility revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, North Carolina, reported that no autopsy was performed because the pilot died in a physician's care on December 17, 2017. The probable cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not conduct toxicological testing as no samples were submitted.