The student pilot and instructor were preparing for the student’s private pilot check ride. After performing takeoffs, landings, and several maneuvers, they decided to land at a 1,720-foot private grass strip near Bentleyville, Pennsylvania.
The landing was uneventful, and the student pilot taxied back and prepared to take off with 10° of flaps. During the takeoff, after the Cessna 150 became airborne, the last recollection the student pilot had was that the airplane was not climbing due to “low airspeed in the high heat and high humidity.”
The airplane hit the runway about 100 feet from trees at the departure end, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Both the CFI and student pilot sustained serious injuries in the crash.
The student pilot reported that they did not complete performance calculations prior to the takeoff.
Takeoff performance calculations based on the takeoff distance chart in the airplane owner’s manual revealed that a ground roll of about 1,022 feet and a takeoff distance of about 1,792 feet was required to clear a 50-foot obstacle at the airplane’s maximum allowable gross weight.
The chart (and the checklist procedure) indicated that the maximum performance takeoff was to be performed with the flaps in the retracted position.
Probable Cause: The flight instructor and student pilot’s inadequate preflight performance planning, which resulted in a takeoff attempt with insufficient available runway, a loss of control, and impact with terrain.
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This June 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Since that takeoff data is predicated on new airplane test pilot from the factory, he better add 20% to anything at least
The lesson there is that it’s ok to tell an IP or a DPI that you are unable or unwilling to do something. Sometimes it’s a judgment/experience call. The DPI on my Commercial-Glider checkride did something that was way outside my comfort zone and I bailed on the maneuver. To his credit he admitted on the ground that he pushed things and was ok with how I handled it. We discussed it for a moment, then went back up and did a slightly less extreme version of the maneuver. I handled it well and passed the ride.
A short grass runway on a hot humid day in a full loaded C 150. What could possibly go wrong 🤔
You forget to use flaps to take off
Even prior to landing there are a few key considerations such as a short grass field with obstacles, high heat and humidity, and an under powered fully loaded C150! Seems as though this could have been a teaching “situation to avoid “.
Bet they won’t do that again. Lucky they’re still alive.