CESSNA 150H

Full Narrative

On August 15, 2011, at 1038 central daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N6953S, impacted terrain during takeoff from Sabetha Municipal Airport (K83), Sabetha, Kansas. The private pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight was originating from K83.

In his accident report, the 84-year-old pilot said that he had a heart valve replacement in early May 2011. Not wanting to pay unnecessary hangar rent, he decided to fly his airplane to his farm, where he had a 2,500-foot grass runway and a hangar. Lacking recent landing experience on grass runways, he aborted the landing attempt and returned to Sabetha. On his accident report, the pilot did not indicate there had been an accident. In addition, he indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. He indicated he had logged 70 hours total time, 45 hours as pilot-in-command, but no flight time in the previous 90 days.

A witness saw the airplane as it approached the airport. He said the airplane would stall and the nose would drop, and the airplane would lose altitude. Then the nose would come up and the airplane would climb, then stall again. These oscillations occurred about four times and the airplane continuously lost altitude. The airplane stalled from an altitude of about 35 to 40 feet, impacted the ground, and nosed over.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector said the pilot did not hold a valid pilot certificate. He had been granted special medical authorizations in October 2006 and December 2007, but was denied medical certification in July of 2008. Denial was based upon, among other things, bilateral cataracts.