Cessna C150K Accident at Basse-Pointe, Martinique (F-OIJQ)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 27 December 2011, a Cessna C150K, registration F-OIJQ, was destroyed in a crash at Basse-Pointe, Martinique. The aircraft was operating a private pilot license (PPL) practical examination flight for the ATR & COFLY flight school. The flight departed Martinique Aimé Césaire Airport, with a stopover at Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet in Guadeloupe. During the return leg, the flight examiner requested a simulated forced landing. After the candidate failed the initial attempt, the examiner identified a field on the right, facing Mount Pelée, for a second attempt. At approximately 500 feet, the examiner instructed the candidate to apply full power. The aircraft continued to lose altitude despite the power control being in the full throttle position. The examiner took control, initiated a left turn to turn back toward the terrain, and the aircraft stalled on the left wing before impacting the ground in a steeply sloped field. ## Casualties and Aircraft Condition The 41-year-old flight examiner sustained serious injuries, while the 41-year-old student pilot sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, with no other damage reported. The Cessna C150K, serial number 15071817, was first placed into service in April 1970 and had a total of 5,645 flight hours at the time of the accident. It was powered by a Continental O-200-A engine, installed on 30 May 2011, with 212 hours of operation. ## Maintenance and Airworthiness Status The aircraft was maintained by an approved maintenance unit based in Pointe-à-Pitre. The last maintenance was a 50-hour inspection in October 2011. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had exceeded the 100-hour inspection by 9 hours, the 200-hour inspection by 12 hours, and the 50-hour inspection by 9 hours. Considering the 10% tolerance allowed by the Organisme pour la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile (OSAC), the aircraft no longer met airworthiness conditions. Four instructional flights were conducted between 24 and 26 December 2011 after the scheduled maintenance limit was exceeded. ## Investigation Findings The investigation determined that the examiner placed the aircraft in a situation that did not guarantee a sufficient safety margin in the event of a mechanical incident. During the power application, a failure of the left magneto likely caused a reduction in maximum available power. The examiner did not immediately recognize the consequences of a power limitation in a mountainous environment and decided to execute a turn back toward the terrain. The stall resulted from a maneuver at reduced power in an environment unsuitable for a low-altitude exercise. Managing a partial power loss requires rapid and complex decision-making, including assessing the failure's severity while controlling the flight and choosing between a field landing and continuing the flight based on performance degradation and the flight environment.