CESSNA 150M

Full Narrative

On July 25, 2026, about 1630 central daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N18YZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ferris, Texas. One pilot sustained minor injuries and the other pilot had no injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Both pilots reported no abnormalities during the preflight. They added a quart of oil to the engine which was at 3.25 quarts when they checked. They fueled the airplane and taxied to the run-up area where the airplane showed normal indications during the preflight operational checks.
The airplane departed from runway 13 at the Lancaster Regional Airport (LNC), Lancaster, Texas. During the initial climb the right seat pilot at the controls observed a climb rate of about 200 feet per minute and recognized the airplane was not producing sufficient performance to safely continue the flight. About 900 ft msl, the pilots agreed that clearing the power lines and trees ahead of them before initiating a turn was their priority. The engine was producing enough power to maintain airplane altitude but the airplane could not climb. After the airplane cleared the power lines and a residential area, the right seat pilot transferred control of the airplane to the left seat pilot and a turn back to the airport was initiated. As the airplane headed toward the runway, the engine began to run rough and the engine RPM decreased. About 3 miles from the airport the engine lost all power. Without enough altitude to glide to runway 31 an emergency landing was performed which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount structure.
The airplane was retained for further examination.