150-152 Pilot Official Newsletter of the -152 Club.

Jan / Feb 2017 www.cessna150152.com Volume 37 Number 1

2 From the Editor’s Desk

4 A Story About Success

This issue is dedicated to the amazing history of the Cessna Company

8 Aviation Fun

12 Pioneers In Aviation

13 NTSB Reports Learn from others’ mistakes

ISSN 0747- 4712 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

FROM THE EDTOR’S DESK

Holy Cow…it’s 2017!

We here at Club Headquarters are reflecting back on 2016 and find ourselves looking forward into 2017, eagerly anticipating good things to come.

Last year was a relatively quiet one for the Club in general but, seemingly coinciding with the general elec- tion, we experienced a surge of new members and product orders, which has continued into January.

This is the time of year that many aircraft owners take the opportunity to repair/refurbish/upgrade their air- planes…and why not? The weather can be pretty gloomy around much of the USA and Canada. We have lots of Belly Drains and some Gascolators going out the door and that tells me folks are prepping their little birds for a season of aviating.

General aviation at our level has taken a disappointing downturn over the past years and in my opinion the root cause is economics (and possibly video games). The world economy has been stagnant and the cost of owning/flying an airplane is beyond most folks’ reach; and by that I mean that the priorities of people have to be focused on paying bills and feeding their families. There just isn’t always enough left over to pay for punching holes in the air on the weekends.

But for the many diehard “hobby” pilots the solution has been to transition from larger more expensive air- planes to our favorites, the 150 and 152. Lots of us feel that just being in the air is a thrill each and every time and it need not be in the seat a 230 hp CS prop IFR equipped airplane. I heard an interesting comment from a foreign visitor recently that speaks to the downsizing phenomenon: Speaking of automobiles: “Americans buy a car or pickup truck for what it CAN do, not for what they will actually need it to do.” And this really struck a cord with me because it’s a true observation likely to be made only from the out- side. Apparently this same principle applies to some degree in aviation because I’ve spoken with several pilots who have downsized to a 2-seater and they say they haven’t had this much fun in decades. Well… YEAH!…the 150-152 is the gold standard when it comes to affordable, reliable, factory built airplanes. A good 150 often goes for half the price of a new Kia. Now THAT’s a bargain!

Conclusion: Let’s all continue making the effort to promote aviation at every opportunity and in every way we can, which can include offering introductory rides to non-pilots, talking up flying in general to adults and young people and, not the least important, by being good neighbors while showing consideration for ground dwellers when it comes to noise pollution. I am a dirt bike rider and believe me, demonstrating a concern for those we share the outdoors with pays off big time.

Many of our Cessna 150-152 Club members are ambassadors for aviation and the positive stories I’ve heard from them are many and heartwarming. We should all be ambassadors whenever we are given the opening…which will make 2017 even better! Dan Meler - Editor

2 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

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3 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

stormers, Cessna sensed an opportunity and trav- Success In Aviation... eled to , where he purchased a French Bleriot aircraft from the Queens Airplane Com- The Cessna Story pany in the Bronx. He assembled the plane from a kit, using one of his own water-cooled engines. Having never before flown, Cessna wheeled the craft out onto a salt plain near Jet, Oklahoma, to Based in Wichita, , the aviation capitol of begin practice runs. As his brother Roy watched, Cessna bounced his craft on a takeoff run, eventu- the United States, Cessna Aircraft Company is the ally ending up ditching its nose into the ground. world’s largest manufacturer of private aircraft. e pilot emerged without serious injury but, deter- mined to fly, he repaired the Bleriot for another try. Cessna smashed the airplane 11 more times before he got the hang of it. On the thirteenth try he managed to get enough altitude to avoid crash- ing. But because he had not yet learned to turn, he was forced to set the craft down immediately. And because he had never landed, the flight ended with yet another crash. In June of 1911, after several modifications, Cessna made his first completely successful flight, and with practice he became a fairly good pilot. He was paid $300 to perform at an air show in Jet, and before the end of the season he flew three more exhibitions. Cessna began its operations building small propel- ler-driven aircraft for the private pilot market, Through the spring and summer of 1912, and for eventually expanding into the manufacture of cor- several years after, Cessna made small changes to porate jets. The company has since become the his airplane, customizing it by incorporating new leading private jet manufacturer in the industry. controls and changing the balance and surfaces of Following the 1994 signing of the General Avia- the craft. Each year he gave flying demonstrations tion Revitalization Act, the company resumed pro- throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. In the fall of duction of single-engine piston aircraft, which it 1916 Cessna was offered a rent-free space at the had given up in 1986. Jones Motor Car factory in Wichita, Kansas, to

manufacture a new model. In return he was asked Origins to paint the words “Jones-Six,” the name of a car

model, on the bottom of the wings of his new air- In 1911 the company’s plane. This craft, built over the winter of 1916-17, founder, Clyde V. was the first airplane manufactured in Wichita. Cessna, a farmer who Cessna’s next model, the Comet, emerged in 1917. was also employed as a mechanic and auto sales- With a partially enclosed cockpit, the Comet be- man for Overland Auto- came the manufacturer’s most successful model. mobiles, attended an air Cessna planned to promote the design at one of show in the 60 air shows in which he was booked to per- nearby Oklahoma City at form during 1917, but American involvement in the Moisant International Clyde World War I forced him to abandon his sales ef- Aviation Air Circus. forts. Engines, propellers, and other important Cessna was immediately taken with the urge to fly. supplies were earmarked for larger manufacturers. Aware of the large sums paid to exhibition barn- Cessna, effectively, was put out of business. He

4 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

lished a 5,000-square-foot factory and an adjacent paint shop. Roos, however, received a lucrative offer to become general manager of the Swallow Airplane Company and left the business in De- cember.

Cessna reorganized his enterprise as the Cessna Aircraft Company and began offering five varia- tions on the “A” series, each with a different type of engine. These were called Aws - the “W” stood for Wright, the engine manufac- turer. Cessna then began work on a heavier BW series. The Commerce Department, however, which then certified aircraft designs, would not returned to his home near Rago, Kansas, and re- approve the use of a more powerful Wright engine sumed farming. without a lengthy stress analysis. To maintain sales, Cessna was forced to substitute a smaller In 1925 two business partners, and engine in the BW. But he soon began work on an Lloyd Stearman, who persuaded him to begin even more powerful third series, the CW-6, which making airplanes again, lured Cessna back to featured a 225-horsepower engine. Wichita. The three men established the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, with Cessna as presi- In 1929, on the success of these models, Cessna dent. While the company built a line of biplanes, a financed development of an improved “D” series. conflict began to emerge between Beech and Members of this series, the Chief and the Scout, Cessna. Beech favored the two-wing designs and were to be built at another new facility, an 80-acre Cessna wanted to build a monoplane. In 1926 site southeast of Wichita. Here, Cessna was build- Cessna rented his own shop, where he designed ing a 55,000-square-foot plant, although it was and built his single-wing aircraft. He later flew during construction that the stock market crashed, this plane in a demonstration for Beech, who was plunging the country into the Great Depression. forced to concede that Cessna’s design was an ex- cellent one, resulting in the manufacture of mono- By 1930 the demand for private aircraft all but planes by Travel Air. Two later models, the City disappeared. In an attempt to bolster sales Cessna of Oakland and the Woolaroc, were the first civil- ian planes to be flown to Hawaii. Cessna-Roos Company Origins in 1927 Cessna GC-2 Further differences with Beech and Stearman, however, led Cessna to leave the partnership in 1927. He established his own shop in Wichita and began work on a radical design that eliminated the need for wing struts, the bars that supported the plane’s wings. After successfully buildings his strutless “A”series monoplane, Cessna organized another firm and sold shares in his new company. Victor Roos, a major shareholder, was made a partner, and the company was incorporated as the Cessna-Roos Company on September 8, 1927. designed a glider, the CG-2, which he sold for Roos helped Cessna to acquire an 11-acre site at only $398. He attempted several other experimen- First Street and Glenn Avenue, where they estab- tal designs, but by 1931 was forced to close down

5 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 his plant and rent out his buildings. Although the signed and built in nine months—production had Cessna Aircraft Company did not go bankrupt, no barely started in March 1939 when priority mili- airplanes were built for three years. In fact, Clyde tary orders for the new plane began to come in. Cessna and his son Eldon were prevented by the The U.S. Army used the T-50 as a trainer, desig- company’s board of directors from even attempt- nated AT-8. Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Air ing to restart operations at the plant. Instead, the Force weighed in with similar orders, calling pair opened another small shop and founded the C. theirs the Crane I. V. Cessna Aircraft Company. At this site Cessna and his son built the CR-1, CR-2, and CR-3 racing Expansion During World War II models and the C-3 cabin cruiser. With a growing backlog of military orders, Cessna was forced to expand. The company, which em- Meanwhile, in June of 1933, Cessna’s nephew ployed 200 people in July 1940, had more than Dwane L. Wallace graduated from Wichita Uni- 1,500 workers just seven months later. As hostili- versity with a degree in aeronautical engineering. ties in Europe began, with Germany’s invasion He went to work for the Beech Aircraft Company, of , the army increased its orders from which occupied a section of the closed Cessna fac- Cessna. The company delivered several new tory. When Beech later moved to another plant, variations on the T-50, including AT-17 trainers Dwane and his brother Dwight persuaded Cessna’s and UC-78 utility cargo aircraft. The basic T-50 board to allow their uncle to reopen the plant. Pro- design, however, was the mainstay at that time. In duction was resumed on January 10, 1934, and the April 1942, during the darkest days of the war, the Wallace brothers joined the company as officers. army ordered Cessna to manufacture 1,500 C-4A The new team designed another cantilevered— troop/cargo gliders. These craft, which were de- sans wing struts—craft, the C-34 Airmaster, which signed by the Waco Aircraft Company, were in- tended for use in an allied invasion of Europe.

Company Perspectives: The Mission of the Cessna Aircraft Company is: to be the worldwide leader in the industry seg- ments we serve by developing and producing safe, reliable, high quality aircraft that represent the best value in ; to provide the most comprehensive and responsive support to every Cessna customer; to produce the financial results Airmaster that create value for Textron shareholders.

Cessna built a new plant for the gliders at Hut- test pilots George Hart and flew chinson, Kansas, 60 miles northwest of Wichita. on nationwide demonstrations. The new model put Although half the order was later canceled, the company back on its feet, particularly after it Cessna and other builders were kept busy subcon- garnered numerous prestigious awards. tracting for other manufacturers. In addition, Cessna designed a large twin-engine cargo air- In 1935 , now age 55, sold his shares plane, called the C-106, that was made from freely in the company to the Wallace brothers. He re- available non-strategic materials. The company mained president of Cessna Aircraft until October received an order for 500 of these planes, but this 8, 1936, when he retired. He returned to his 640- was later canceled when the army decided to use acre farm in Rago and invented new farm imple- planes from Douglas and Curtiss. Had Cessna ments until his death in 1954. Under the Wallaces, been able to build its C-106s for the army, the the Cessna Aircraft Company built its first twin- company may have graduated into another class, engine aircraft in 1938. The T-50 Bobcat was de- with such manufacturers as North American, Boe-

6 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 ing, Consolidated Vultee, Douglas, and Lockheed. group later became one of Cessna’s most profitable In 1944 Cessna occupied 468,000 feet of factory divisions. In 1952 Cessna purchased the Seibel space—nearly ten times the amount it had in Helicopter Company. This small concern flew its 1939—and employed 6,074 workers. With the end first helicopter in 1954, celebrating the event a year of the war imminent, however, the company was later with a demonstration landing on the summit forced to turn its attention to the inevitable evapo- of Pike’s Peak. The company built a YH-41 heli- ration of military orders. Futurists had long pre- copter for the U.S. Army in 1957, and by 1961 was dicted the emergence of family flight, describing building CH-1 Skyhook models. With declining sedan aircraft suitable for jaunts to grandma’s sales, however, the business of Cessna Helicopters house, a picnic spot, and even the grocery store. was wound up in 1963. These planes were to be simple, light designs that were affordable and rugged. Before the end of the Entering the Business Aircraft Market in 1954 war, Cessna began work on a fabric-skin model, the 190/195 series P-780. But pilots of these air Meanwhile, the company had begun to cultivate a sedans would first need to learn how to fly, so the new market for its winged aircraft: corporations. company briefly shelved the P-780 to rush two As executives found a greater need to travel long small trainers, the 120 and 140, into production. distances in less time, a market for business aircraft emerged. The revolution in flight materialized shortly after the war, and although it never reached the propor- tions—an airplane in every garage—that futurists

Cessna 310

Cessna was one of the first to exploit this opening by producing the 310, an airplane designed specifi- cally for executives in 1954. had envisioned, it seemed everyone was learning to fly. Cessna built nearly 8,000 trainers by the early 1950s, but the boom was short-lived. Output of 120/140s fell from 30 per day to only five. De- mand for the 190/195—now with metal skins— and a new model, the 170, remained strong, how- ever. T-37 “Tweety Bird” After the war, Cessna had established a fluid power division that manufactured hydraulic com- That same year Cessna entered the jet age when it ponents. With limited applications in aircraft, the began production of T-37s. These small jets were hydraulic products were sold mainly to manufac- used as trainers by the Air Force, which purchased turers of farm equipment, though the fluid power more than 1,000 T-37s. In 1959 Cessna brought

7 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 out an all-metal, 100-horsepower plane, the Model jets. As a result, Lear nearly cornered the corpo- 150. This aircraft was extremely popular with rate market, forcing suchA Bit companies of Nostalgia as Cessna— flight schools and flying clubs and was singularly with the broadest product line in the industry—to responsible for Cessna’s strong growth during the respond in kind. CessnaAd beganfrom work June on its 1966 first 1960s. , the Citation 500, in 1969, although the first of this series was not delivered until 1972. Nevertheless, the Citation became an important source of strength for Cessna, whose private plane business had begun to fall flat. Amid financial re- verses, Cessna launched a productivity campaign and its executives—including chairman Dwane Wallace—took salary cuts. In addition, the num- ber of employees, which was 16,200 in 1974, was cut to 13,000 by 1976.

The outlook for Cessna began to improve as it de- 1959 Cessna 150 livered its 100,000th single-engine airplane in 1975 and introduced the large Titan cargo plane a year later. In 1978 the company redesigned the Output reached 3,000 per year by 1966. The fol- successful 150, re-designating it the 152. Ques- lowing year, production of the popular 150 was re- tions had begun to arise, however, about the integ- located to a facility at Strother Field in Winfield, rity of Cessna’s construction. Several highly pub- Kansas. The 150s were again manufactured in licized plane crashes seemed to indicate some Wichita for a brief time during 1969 when a reces- propwash (the force stemming from the propel- sion dried up the market, but production resumed lers’ wake) problems with Cessna tail sections. at Winfield in 1973. With strong growth from the According to a Wall Street Journal article, the 150 program, Cessna began acquiring numerous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded companies in related fields. The company pur- one model—the Conquest—in 1977 after the Na- chased the Aircraft Radio Corporation in 1959, and tional Transportation Safety Board concluded that the following year took over the McCauley Com- a particular crash was the result of “poor- pany, which manufactured propellers and other air- inadequate design.” The FAA allowed the planes craft components. to return to the sky, however, after Cessna made some significant changes to the tail section. In 1960 Cessna became affiliated with SNA Max Holste, a French manufacturer located in Reims. Eager to make up for lost profits on the redesign, Cessna later purchased 49 percent of the company, Cessna’s chairman, Russell Meyer, who had suc- which changed its name to . As ceeded Wallace in 1975, stepped up production of Cessna’s agent in the European market, Reims Conquests and Citations, which were in demand Aviation assembled a variety of Cessna designs, as business planes after the energy crisis caused principally the Model 150. Cessna upgraded its po- airline prices to skyrocket. Before long, invento- sition in the business market in 1965, when it intro- ries of crucial parts became so low that Cessna duced the 411, a cabin class airplane. The company was forced to store $40 million worth of half- also turned out its first general purpose agricultural completed jets. In addition, the company found airplane, the Ag Wagon. In 1968 Cessna began itself competing for an appropriate number of production of the A-37B twin-jet attack aircraft for skilled workers with such formidable rivals as the U.S. Air Force. Boeing, Lear, Beech, and Piper, all located in the same area. As these problems began to take their Lear, also located in Wichita, entered the business toll, the short-term debt needed to cover Cessna’s market in the mid-1960s with a line of business faltering operations began to mount, and before

Cont’d on pg 10 8 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

Aviation Fun

Answers on page 15

9 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 long the company also was facing a $92 million operations. Still, the flight schools Cessna had es- debt crisis. tablished in 1970 continued to train private pilots in great numbers. Meyer’s response was to close the jet production line for several weeks while parts inventories were replenished. Stocked aircraft were completed and sold, and production was resumed at lower levels.

Caravan

As the company’s product liability insurance costs began to mount—annual premiums were in excess of $35 million—Cessna solicited bids from com- panies that were interested in acquiring the aircraft manufacturer. In October of 1985 General Dynam- Citation I ics, a large defense contractor, purchased Cessna for $663.7 million. Both companies stood to bene- fit from the transaction. Cessna would be able to By 1979 Cessna was outselling Lear, and in 1980, take advantage of General Dynamics’ stable cash the year Cessna’s sales topped the billion-dollar position, technology, and experience in contract- mark, Cessna achieved a record high market share ing, while providing its parent company with ex- of 54 percent. In an attempt to get more airplanes pertise in lightweight structures that could prove out of the factory, Cessna inaugurated a clever useful in cruise missile projects. marketing scheme in 1982. Rather than try to sell its planes in a recessionary economy, Cessna of- That same year, in response to increasingly fered leases with maintenance contracts. Compa- stronger competition from the used aircraft market, nies now could finance the new Citation I, II, and Cessna began a campaign to refit and upgrade III business jets with money from their operating older Citation jets. In 1988 Cessna sold its fluid budgets, rather than purchasing them with capital power division to the Eaton Corporation, and the funds. Although customers could cancel the leases following year the company’s 40 percent interest on short notice, Cessna was allowed to depreciate in Reims Aviation, which had been manufacturing the aircraft, an important tax shelter. the Caravan, was purchased by Paris-based Com- pagnie Frangaise Chaufour Investissement. Cessna The 1980s: New Aircraft and Ownership continued its production of the successful Caravan, however. Although a part of General Dynamics, In 1983 Cessna sold its ARC division to Cessna was allowed to maintain managerial auton- the Sperry Corporation, predecessor to Unisys. In omy. Self-insured against lawsuits, it was now also the meantime Cessna identified an important new self-funded and producing a profit for its parent market: fleet sales. That year Federal Express company, but by 1991 General Dynamics, seeking placed the first of several bulk orders for Cessna’s to concentrate on its core defense businesses, an- new Caravan turboprop , suitable for nounced its intention to sell Cessna. Textron, par- serving smaller metropolitan markets. With ent of Bell Helicopter, offered $600 million for Cessna’s business increasingly dominated by cor- Cessna. The deal was completed in January 1992 porate and fleet jet sales, the private plane busi- with Cessna’s autonomy intact, while Meyer con- ness became an ever smaller part of the company’s tinued as chairman.

10 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

and entered production, and orders for all of The Early 1990s: Success as Part of Textron Cessna’s aircraft remained strong. A total of $40 million in construction projects in Wichita were Following the company’s purchase by Textron, planned, comprising painting, interior installation, Cessna continued to expand its line of Citation and warehousing facilities. In October, four new business jets. The year 1992 saw FAA certification Citation models were announced. Three were of the Citation VII and the entry level Citation Jet variations on existing airplanes, with the Citation models. The following year the prototype of the Sovereign to be an all-new design. By the begin- Citation X, touted as the world’s fastest business ning of 1999, the company’s backlog of orders jet, was unveiled. The Citation Ultra model, the topped $4 billion. successor to the Citation V, also was announced in 1993. That year the company celebrated delivery As it prepared to enter the 21st century, Cessna re- of the 2,000th Citation. Cessna also sold its mained the largest private aircraft manufacturer in McCauley Accessory Division during 1993. the United States. With its line of cargo craft and advanced private jets, including the new Citation Production of single-engine piston aircraft had X, Cessna still offered the broadest product range ceased for Cessna in 1986 due to the prohibitive in the industry. With the company’s relationship to cost of liability insurance. In 1994, as a result of owner Textron on solid ground, Cessna looked lobbying by the aircraft industry, the U.S. Con- certain to remain America’s leading small aircraft gress passed the General Aviation Revitalization manufacturer. Act, which established a limit of 18 years from date of manufacture on lawsuits against plane The New Millennia manufacturers. Cessna CEO Russ Meyer flew to Washington for the signing by President Clinton, Y2K and beyond has been good to Cessna and in and the company quickly announced plans to re- piston powered aircraft the company currently of- sume building piston aircraft. A site for a new fers a new 172, 172 Turbo, 182, 182 Turbo, 206 manufacturing facility was selected in Independ- Turbo, and the fast low-winged TTx. Additionally ence, Kansas, some 120 miles from Wichita, and Cessna produces a line of Caravans and an impres- in late 1996 the first plane rolled off the assembly sive array of Citation Jets. Clyde started something line. The company revived, with minor modifica- very special a century ago and I’d love to hear his tions and updates, its popular models 172 and 182 thoughts on the success of his company, if that from the 1980s, rather than designing entirely new were possible. I’m guessing he would be pleased, aircraft. and maybe a bit surprised…or maybe not at all surprised...after all, he was a visionary! Cessna continued to do well in 1996, receiving large orders for Citation Ultras from the U.S. Army and for Citation VIIs and Xs from Executive Jet of New Jersey. The latter deal, for 45 jets, was worth a record-setting $600 million. The company delivered a total of 229 airplanes during the year. The year 1997 was even better, with the company registering a 35 percent jump in sales. A total of 180 Citation series jets, 78 Caravan turboprop air- craft, and 360 new piston planes were sold, and Cessna celebrated delivery of the 2,500th Citation in September.

The company’s good fortunes continued unabated in 1998 as the Citation Excel received certification

11 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 A Pioneer In Aviation

Amy Johnson, English aviator 1903-1941 One of the first women to gain a pilot's license, Johnson won fame when she flew solo from Brit- ain to Australia in 1930. Her dangerous flight took 17 days. Later she flew solo to India and Japan and became the first woman to fly across the At- lantic East to West, she volunteered to fly for The Women's Auxiliary Air Force in WW 2, but her plane was shot down over the River Thames and she was killed.

12 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017

ure, both pilots first smelled and then ob- NTSB Reports served smoke in the cockpit. The flight instruc- tor took the flight controls, selected a forced Important: The Cessna 150-152 club publishes these landing site, and maneuvered the airplane for accident reports in the hope that readers will consider landing. Upon touchdown, the nose landing the role that each pilot’s decisions played in the gear settled into low brush and soft terrain, outcome and learn from the experiences of others. where the airplane stopped, nosed-over, and These reports are solely based on preliminary NTSB reports which may contain errors. They have been came to rest inverted. edited for clarity. They are not intended to judge or reach any definitive conclusion about the ability or The flight instructor held a commercial pilot capacity of any person, aircraft, or accessory. certificate with ratings for airplane single en- gine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certifi-

cate with ratings for airplane single engine and instrument airplane. His Federal Aviation Ad- NTSB Identification: ERA17LA071 ministration (FAA) first-class medical certifi- Accident 12/19/2016 in Palm Bay, FL cate was issued on July 25, 2013. The instruc- Aircraft: CESSNA 150, registra- tor reported 309 total hours of flight experi- tion: N150EC ence, of which 3 hours were in the accident Injuries: 2 Minor. airplane make and model.

This is preliminary information, subject to The student pilot was issued a student pilot change, and may contain errors. Any errors in certificate and an FAA third class medical cer- this report will be corrected when the final re- tificate on May 19, 2014. She reported 75 total port has been completed. NTSB investigators hours of flight experience, of which 3 hours may not have traveled in support of this in- were in the accident airplane make and vestigation and used data provided by various model. sources to prepare this aircraft accident re- port. The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed- On December 19, 2016, about 1400 eastern gear airplane was manufactured in 1976, and standard time, a Cessna 150M, N150EC, was equipped with a Continental O-200-A series, substantially damaged during a forced land- 100-horsepower reciprocating engine. Accord- ing after experiencing smoke in the cockpit ing to the airplane's maintenance records, the while maneuvering near Palm Bay, Florida. most recent annual inspection was completed The flight instructor and a student pilot re- on October 31, 2016, at 5,139 total aircraft ceived minor injuries. Visual meteorological hours. conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which was con- At 1615, the weather reported at MLB; located ducted under the provisions of 14 Code of 18 miles south of the accident site, included Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane de- clear skies and wind from 090 degrees at 5 parted Melbourne International Airport (MLB), knots. The temperature was 27 degrees C, the Melbourne, Florida, about 1300. dew point was 23 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 30.27 inches of mercury. Both the flight instructor and the student pilot provided written statements, and their de- An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at scriptions of the events were consistent the site, and all major components were ac- throughout. counted for at the scene. Examination of the engine compartment revealed wires con- During recovery from a simulated engine fail- nected to the battery relay exhibited thermal

13 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 damage. Jetport (ISO), Kinston, North Carolina.

The airplane was retained for further examina- During an interview with a Federal Aviation Ad- tion at a later date. ministration inspector, the pilot stated that dur- ing cruise flight at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the NTSB Identification: CEN17WA052B engine suddenly lost total power. He maneu- Accident 12/04/2016 vered for a forced landing in a field, and while in Husbands Bosworth, United Kingdom the propeller continued to windmill. After the Aircraft: CESSNA 150 nose landing gear contacted the ground, the Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Uninjured. airplane nosed over. The airplane was recov- ered for further examination of the engine. The foreign authority was the source of this in- formation. NTSB Identification: ERA17LA044 On December 4, 2016, about 1230 coordi- Accident 11/13/2016 in Miami, FL nated universal time, a PZL Bielsko SZD-51-1 Aircraft: , : N94292 glider, G-CSFT, and a Cessna 150L airplane, Injuries: 2 Uninjured. G-CSFC, collided in midair near Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, United Kingdom. This is preliminary information, subject to The glider impacted terrain and the pilot was change, and may contain errors. Any errors in fatally injured. The airplane sustained sub- this report will be corrected when the final re- stantial damage and landed at a nearby air- port has been completed. NTSB investigators port. may not have traveled in support of this investi- NTSB Identification: ERA17LA045 gation and used data provided by various Accident 11/14/2016 in Snow Hill, NC sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. Aircraft: CESSNA 150, : N23473 On November 13, 2016, about 1400 eastern Injuries: 2 Uninjured. daylight time, a Cessna 152, N94292, was substantially damaged during a forced landing This is preliminary information, subject to following a total loss of engine power near Mi- change, and may contain errors. Any errors in ami, Florida. The private pilots were not in- this report will be corrected when the final re- jured. Visual meteorological conditions pre- port has been completed. NTSB investigators vailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was may not have traveled in support of this inves- filed for the instructional flight operated by tigation and used data provided by various Dean International, Inc., which was conducted sources to prepare this aircraft accident re- under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Fed- port. eral Regulations Part 91.The flight originated On November 14, 2016, about 0530 eastern at Lakeland Linder Airport (LAL), Lakeland, standard time, a privately owned and operated Florida about 1220, and was destined for Mi- Cessna 150H, N23473, nosed over during a ami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida. forced landing in a field near Snow Hill, North Carolina. The private pilot and one passenger Each pilot provided a written statement, and were not injured, and the airplane was sub- both statements were consistent throughout. stantially damaged. Visual meteorological con- The pilots described the flight as a "buddy" ditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan flight, the purpose of which was to build flight was filed for the personal flight that was con- time for each. ducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight origi- The airplane was in cruise flight over the Ever- nated about 30 minutes earlier from Raleigh glades about 2,000 feet when the crew noted East Airport (W17), Knightdale, North Caro- some engine "roughness." They noted that the lina, and was destined for Kinston Regional engine oil temperature was "normal" but the

14 Cessna 150-152 Pilot - Jan / Feb 2017 engine oil pressure indication was "low." The You'll Know It's a No-Frills Airline If pilot on the controls turned the airplane to- wards the nearest airport, which was 18 They don't sell tickets, they sell chances. miles from its position at that time. Approxi- mately 1 minute later, the engine stopped All the insurance machines in the terminal are producing power, and the crew selected a sold out. road for the forced landing. During the de- scent, an engine restart was attempted and Before the flight, the passengers get together and elect a pilot. was unsuccessful.

If you kiss the wing for luck before boarding, The airplane touched down prior to the road it kisses you back. on soft, wet ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The pilots egressed the air- You cannot board the plane unless you have plane uninjured. the exact change.

The first pilot held a private pilot certificate Before you took off, the stewardess tells you with ratings for airplane single engine land to fasten your Velcro. and instrument airplane. His most recent first-class medical certificate was issued on The Captain asks all the passengers to chip in September 8, 2015. The pilot reported 212.5 a little for gas. total hours of flight experience, all of which When they pull the steps away, the plane were in the accident airplane make and starts rocking. model. The Captain yells at the ground crew to get The second pilot held a private pilot certifi- the cows off the runway. cate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent first-class medical cer- You ask the Captain how often their planes tificate was issued on July 11, 2016. The pi- crash and he says, “Just once.” lot reported 128.3 total hours of flight experi- ence, all of which were in the accident air- Your life keeps flashing before your eyes. plane make and model. You see a man with a gun, but he's demand- The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing air- ing to be let off the plane. plane was manufactured in 1982 and was All the planes have both a bathroom and a equipped with a Lycoming O-235 series en- chapel. gine. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed November 3, 2016 at 10,955 A total aircraft hours, and the airplane had ac- P Down crued 52 hours since that date. An engine Across N overhaul was completed 246 aircraft hours U 1 Traffic prior to the accident. 3 Mayday 2 Ramp 4 S 5 Leading 6 Green Z During recovery of the airplane, large cracks 8 Ditch 7 Speed W 10 Dependent were noted in the engine crankcase in the vi- 9 Indicated Z 11 Track cinity of the number 2 cylinder. The air- 14 Noise E 12 Ferry plane's engine was retained for further 15 Class G L 13 Russia 16 Graf 17 ZULU examination. 18 Altitude R E 19 Logbook S

15 The Cessna 150-152 Club PO Box 5298 Periodicals Postage Central Point, OR 97502 PAID Medford, OR 97501 USPS 721970

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