ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 133804
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| Date: | Friday 1 May 1998 |
| Time: | 15:30 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 150M |
| Owner/operator: | Steven C. Bernstein |
| Registration: | N459U |
| MSN: | 150-78407 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5042 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-200-A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Levelland, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | (Q24) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot reported that during an instructional flight, the airplane encountered a severe downdraft that it was unable to out climb, while in the traffic pattern. This occurred after the flight departed from runway 17 to practice takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern. The CFI reported that after turning crosswind, while the engine was still operating at full takeoff power, the airplane encountered a severe downdraft, which resulted in a rate of descent that exceeded 1,000 feet per minute. The CFI turned the airplane away from high tension power lines as he maneuvered the airplane towards a plowed field to the east-southeast of the airport. The CFI reduced power before the airplane impacted the ground in a landing attitude with the flaps retracted. The operator stated that virga and dust devils were observed in all quadrants near the time of the accident. An FAA inspector also observed signs of downdrafts and virga while en route to the accident site. On a previous flight, the operator experienced 'strong up and downdrafts due to the highly unstable weather pattern.' The density altitude was calculated by the investigator-in-charge to be 5,600 feet.
Probable Cause: the pilot's inaccurate weather evaluation, subsequent encounter with a severe downdraft, and failure (or inability) to compensate for the wind (downdraft) condition. The high density altitude was a related factor.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW98LA202
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Apr-2024 13:19 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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