No fatalities

11 Feb 2018: CESSNA 150 H — Statesville, NC

Statesville, NC, United States

On 11 Feb 2018, a CESSNA 150 H was involved in an aviation accident near Statesville, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain crosswind correction during landing and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s and flight instructor’s decision to land with gusting tailwinds. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

While landing during pattern work, a pilot receiving instruction encountered a strong wind gust that lifted the right wing and pushed the aircraft left of the runway, resulting in substantial empennage damage. No mechanical issues were reported.

Incident Details

According to a report from the attorney representing the pilot receiving instruction, the incident occurred while the pilot was conducting routine pattern work. During the landing, the aircraft encountered turbulence and wind gusts. A strong gust of wind lifted the right wing, causing the airplane to be pushed to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest partially off the runway.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The attorney reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported that, around the time of the accident, the wind was from 200° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot landed on runway 10.

Contributing factors

Causes

Crosswind correction — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilot

Other contributing factors

Decision related to condition