Stall / Spin · NTSB WPR14LA305
CESSNA 150M — Russian Flat, MT
| Date | July 21, 2014 |
| Location | Russian Flat, MT |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 150M |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Aerodynamic stall/spin |
| Pilot age | 46 |
| Pilot total time | 1,400 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Knowledge-Knowledge of equipment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of charts-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Attain/maintain not possible - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded - C
What happened
The commercial pilot attempted to take off from an uncontrolled grass runway with an uphill grade; the airplane subsequently impacted an open area of swamp land about 570 ft beyond the end of the runway. The airplane impacted in a right-wing, nose-low attitude; the impact damage was consistent with a near-vertical descent. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The density altitude at the time of the accident was calculated to be over 8,200 ft. Review of airplane manufacturer's takeoff performance charts revealed that the conditions present at the time of the accident exceeded the airplane's takeoff performance limitations. It is likely that, as the pilot attempted to take off uphill in high density altitude conditions, he exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, and the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall/spin at low altitude.