History of Flight
On June 18, 2021, at about 1106 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150L, registration N1300Q, was destroyed when it crashed into the St. Mary's River near Yulee, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operating as a Part 91 instructional flight.
According to air traffic control radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight departed Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB), Fernandina Beach, Florida, about 1056. It proceeded on a northwesterly heading for about 7 miles until over the St. Mary's River. No ATC services were provided. The airplane performed several 360° turns at slow speed between 800 and 1,000 ft above ground level (agl). The last radar return was about 300 ft south of the accident site at 800 ft agl.
Several witnesses at a nearby boat dock reported that the airplane descended into the river in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude. One witness stated that the airplane was circling and turning while descending; another reported a “corkscrew” descent path. Two witnesses recalled that the engine was running until impact with the water.
Personnel Information
The student pilot’s logbook indicated the accident flight was her fifth at the flight school that operated the airplane, all with the accident flight instructor. She had previously logged flight instruction at a different school in a Diamond DA-20 and had soloed in that aircraft. The operator’s ground operations director described her as a “sharp” student who took lessons seriously and was always prepared.
The ground operations director reported meeting the flight instructor in May 2021 when he was hired. He held the instructor in “high regard” and noted no unusual personality traits or poor flying habits; the instructor was cautious and not a risk-taker.
The chief flight instructor from a previous employer described the flight instructor as experienced in both single- and multiengine airplanes, an excellent pilot and instructor, professional, and never performing risky maneuvers.
The flight instructor had flown an instructional flight with another student in the same airplane earlier that morning. That student reported taking off about 0800, proceeding up the St. Mary’s River at 1,000 ft agl, and performing clean stalls, stalls with flaps extended, and a power-off glide at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,200 ft agl. No mechanical issues or unusual flight control binding were noted. The student also stated that previous flights with the instructor always included air work at 1,000 to 1,200 ft agl, never above 1,800 ft agl.
A-Cent Aviation’s policy required a minimum altitude of 1,500 ft agl for recovery from stalls and other air work; however, most instructors at the school performed stalls at higher altitudes.
Aircraft Information
The operator purchased the airplane in December 2020, and it was used for flight instruction since then.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the St. Mary’s River and sank in about 17 ft of water. No fire occurred. The accident site was about 7 nautical miles northwest of FHB. After recovery, the wreckage was examined at an aircraft salvage facility.
All major structural components were present. The fixed tricycle landing gear remained attached. The engine was broken from its mounts but held by cables and wires. The fixed-pitch propeller remained attached.
The leading edges of both wings were compressed aft equally to about two-thirds of their original chord width. The right wing separated from the forward mount but remained attached at the aft mount; the left wing remained attached at both mounts. Wing flaps were retracted. Both ailerons and their control cables were intact and continuous.
The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer. The elevators remained attached at outboard hinges and to the elevator control bellcrank, with no impact damage. The elevator bellcrank was fractured at the bulkhead attach point; the attach bolt and bushing remained on the bulkhead. Neither vertical nor horizontal stabilizer showed impact damage. The elevator push/pull rod was intact from the control column to the elevator sector.
The elevator bellcrank, rudder, and a portion of the tail cone were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory. The bellcrank had separated at a bolted joint; about half of the through-hole circumference had separated, allowing the bellcrank to come off the bolt. Rub damage obscured large areas of the fracture surfaces; undamaged areas showed overstress features.
According to FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2009-10-09, all Cessna 150 models must have either a placard prohibiting spins or installation of service kit SK152-25, which replaces rudder stop components and adds a doubler. Neither stop bolt on the accident aircraft had a doubler nor a nut and washer on the inside of the tail cone skin, indicating SK152-25 was not installed. A damaged placard on the instrument panel appeared to comply with the AD.
The engine showed impact and salt water/sand damage but no evidence of preexisting malfunction that would preclude normal operation.
One propeller blade was bent aft about 90° with “s” bending signatures; the other blade was slightly bent aft with slight “s” bending.
Additional Information
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) addresses upset prevention and recovery training, recommending that stalls be practiced at altitudes allowing recovery no lower than 1,500 ft agl for single-engine airplanes. The FAA Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-6B) require that power-on stalls, power-off stalls, and slow flight be completed no lower than 1,500 ft agl for single-engine aircraft.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicology testing on the flight instructor detected acetaminophen (Tylenol) in cavity blood and urine; no ethanol was found. Toxicology testing on the student pilot found no evidence of drugs or ethanol.