No fatalities

12 Sep 2019: Cessna 150 L — Memphis, TN

Memphis, TN, United States

On 12 Sep 2019, a Cessna 150 L was involved in an aviation accident near Memphis, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper landing flare and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and impact with terrain. 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

During landing, a student pilot flared early causing a skip. The airplane drifted right, the instructor took over but the airplane continued right, then lifted off and pancaked into grass. Substantial damage to left wing and engine mounts.

Event Summary

A student pilot and a flight instructor were conducting a landing when the student flared early, resulting in the airplane skipping during touchdown. The airplane subsequently drifted to the right. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, but the rightward movement continued. The airplane then lifted off around midfield, performed a "pancake and spin" maneuver, and came to rest in the grass to the right of the runway.

Instructor's Account

The flight instructor, who described himself as a new instructor, reported that during the student's landing approach, the airplane was high and slow as it crossed the runway threshold. The student flared "very high," and when he attempted to provide recovery instructions, she unexpectedly "pitched up further." The instructor then took control, applied full power, retracted the flaps, and initiated a go-around. The airplane struggled to maintain altitude, and the instructor, concerned about potential collision with construction cranes beyond the runway end, attempted a right turn. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground to the right of the runway.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mounts.

Mechanical Condition

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilot