No fatalities

7 Mar 2018: CESSNA 150M (N66786) — SINTON, TX

SINTON, TX, United States

On 7 Mar 2018, a CESSNA 150M (registration N66786) was involved in an aviation accident near SINTON, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The inadequate service and repair of the airplane's carburetor, which led to a partial loss of engine power during takeoff and resulted in a forced landing. 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

On March 7, 2018, a Cessna 150M experienced partial engine power loss after a touch-and-go and executed a forced landing in a field near T69. No injuries; substantial damage to engine mount.

Accident Overview

On March 7, 2018, about 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M airplane, registration N66786, experienced a partial loss of engine power after takeoff and impacted terrain during a forced landing to a field near the Alfred C 'Bubba' Thomas Airport (T69), Sinton, Texas. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight departed T69 about 1130 on a local flight.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that he conducted a local flight and returned to land at T69, executing a touch-and-go landing to runway 32. After touching down and taking off again for another touch-and-go, the airplane's engine experienced a partial loss of engine power near the end of the runway. He was unable to gain altitude, so he turned to the right and landed in an open field. During the forced landing, the airplane's engine mount was bent; otherwise the airplane appeared undamaged.

Condition of Aircraft

The pilot examined the airplane's carburetor and found it full of carbon, and the exhaust pipe was pitch black from carbon buildup. He stated that the carburetor was unable to properly regulate the fuel/air mixture due to excessive carbon buildup, corrosion in and on the main nozzle, and basic wear and tear, which caused the engine to flood and experience a partial loss of engine power. He noted that a review of the maintenance logbook showed the carburetor had not been rebuilt since it was installed in 1974.

Aftermath

The pilot stated that a new rebuilt carburetor was installed on the engine, and it now runs fine. The airplane recently had an annual maintenance inspection, and he reported that "everything that may have caused the engine problem checked out okay."

Contributing factors

Fatigue/wear/corrosionNot serviced/maintainedMaintenance personnel