Stall / Spin · NTSB ANC11FA055
CESSNA 150M — Beluga Lake, AK
| Date | June 27, 2011 |
| Location | Beluga Lake, AK |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 150M |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 45 |
| Pilot total time | 800 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The pilot departed from an off-airport site with one passenger. The passenger stated that the last thing that he remembered was the airplane being about 200 feet in the air. The wreckage came to rest at the base of a large berm adjacent to the takeoff site. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical deficiencies. Ground impact scars and the damage to the airplane were consistent with a high-energy impact, indicative of an aerodynamic stall. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane and engine, and the nature of the damage to the airplane, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently stalled the airplane at a low altitude and was unable to recover.