History of Flight
On September 3, 2018, at approximately 1710 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150L (registration N10789) impacted terrain after takeoff from Whiteman Airport in Los Angeles, California. The airplane was operated by Rotor F/X as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local discovery flight. The flight instructor was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
According to air traffic control recordings, about 50 seconds after the airplane was cleared for takeoff on runway 12, the instructor radioed that he needed to turn back. The tower controller cleared the airplane to land, but no further communications were received.
Several witnesses observed the airplane after departure. One reported that the engine sounded abnormal, "like it was sputtering." Another saw the airplane at very low altitude, descending rapidly with wings dipping side to side. Subsequently, the engine stopped, the airplane rolled left, and it entered a spiraling turn. It impacted the overhang of a building before descending to the concrete, coming to rest inverted. Witnesses attempted to assist the occupants; one extinguished a small oil fire and noted no fuel leakage. Another confirmed no fuel leakage or smell of aviation fuel.
A GoPro camera mounted in the airplane captured over-the-shoulder footage of the occupants and instrument panel without audio. The video showed the instructor taxiing, stopping in the run-up area, and going through the checklist with the passenger. The passenger held the yoke as the instructor checked flight controls. The instructor taxied onto the runway and the passenger advanced the throttle for takeoff. After becoming airborne, about 20 ft above ground level (agl), the instructor removed his hands from the yoke and gave a thumbs up. Two seconds later, the nose dropped. The instructor then placed his right hand on the yoke and left hand on the throttle; the rpm gauge indicated between 2,200 and 2,300 rpm. He appeared to verify full throttle and full rich mixture; rpm read about 2,300.
At about 50 ft agl, the instructor quickly pulled back the throttle, dropping rpm to 1,300, then increased to full power, raising rpm to 2,200. He appeared to look outside. He initiated a left bank; the airplane pitched up and banked left about 15° to 20°. Airspeed slowed, and the turn-and-slip indicator ball deflected almost full-right. The instructor continued to pull the yoke aft as airspeed decreased throughout the turn. The airplane rapidly entered a left spin about 50 ft agl, turned about 270°, then impacted the roof of a building and terrain.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The airplane was registered to N10789 LLC and operated by Rotor F/X. According to the Cessna 150 Owner's Manual, each fuel tank holds 13 gallons of usable fuel, with 1.75 gallons unusable per tank. A refueling record indicated 15.70 gallons of fuel were added two days before the accident. A student reported being present during refueling but was unsure how much fuel was added or present. Immediately after refueling, the student and instructor flew for about 1.5 hours practicing touch-and-go landings. The student stated that he had recently asked the instructor what to do if the engine lost power during takeoff; the instructor responded that you would turn back to the runway.
No preflight inspection actions were reported for the accident flight. The operator did not maintain flight records to determine fuel quantity before the accident.
The owner reported that the flight instructor had been flying the airplane for about three years. The instructor was not on the operator's payroll but was paid directly by students. He regularly flew the accident airplane and conducted about six to eight discovery flights per week in addition to training flights. On the day of the accident, this was his second discovery flight; the first was about 30 minutes long. He also flew the accident airplane about 30 minutes the day before and 1.5 hours with a student two days before.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
The airplane impacted the overhang of a building about 500 ft northeast of the departure end of runway 12. The wreckage was confined to a small area, with the main wreckage inverted on the concrete below the overhang. A pavement impact mark extended from the wreckage with chevron marks consistent with left wing leading edge damage. The aft fuselage completely separated aft of the cabin and came to rest upright; the empennage was mostly intact with some crushing. The right wing remained attached, with the outboard leading edge crushed aft beyond the wing spar. The cabin area was intact, but the instrument panel was crushed back into the cabin. Flight control continuity was established throughout the airframe.
The spinner was crushed flat; the propeller assembly and a small portion of the crankshaft were fracture-separated from the engine. The engine was pushed upward, its top embedded in the firewall, and the No. 4 cylinder was fracture-separated. Fragments of engine and internal components were found on the ground. The engine exhibited heavy impact damage; the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand. Borescope examination of cylinders showed normal operating wear. The No. 2 cylinder was removed; oil was present throughout the engine. Magnetos remained attached and both drives turned freely with impulse coupling engagement; both produced spark. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The fuel tanks were crushed but not breached. Less than 1 gallon of blue fuel was recovered from both tanks; color and smell were consistent with 100LL aviation fuel, and it tested negative for water. The fuel selector was in the "ON" position.
Medical and Toxicological Findings
The Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, Los Angeles, California, conducted an autopsy on the flight instructor. The cause of death was determined to be blunt trauma. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the instructor, with negative results for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and all tested-for drugs.