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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

January 12, 1998 · Cessna 150J · N51258

Gaylord, MI

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
January 12, 1998
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Gaylord, MI
Aircraft
Cessna 150J
Tail Number
N51258
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CHI98LA078

The airplane experienced a hard landing. During the hard landing the right main landing gear attachment fractured. Examination of the fractured part revealed about 95% from overstress fracture and the remainder from a corrosion stress fracture.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's misjudging the flare leading to a hard landing, and the kit manufacturer's (Supplemental Type Certificate holder's) inadequate design leading to a corrosion stress fracture of the landing gear attachment. A factor was the landing gear attachment corroded.

Full Narrative

On January 12, 1998, at 1210 eastern standard time, a ski equipped Cessna 150J, N51258, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on a snow covered, frozen lake near Gaylord, Michigan. The main landing gear utilized an extension to relocate the axle. That extension fractured and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight which departed from the Otsego County Airport also near Gaylord, about 1100. The pilot stated that the right main landing gear extension failed after three landings and on taxi to his hangar. He said that the substantial damage to the airplane occurred at that time. A witness who talked to the police made a written statement indicating that she watched the airplane make three separate landings and that on the last landing, "Just before it touched down, it kind of hovered sideways and then went almost straight down, bounced back up once and back down and slowly tipped over onto the nose, and one wing." The fractured landing gear extension was examined by the NTSB's Office of Research and Engineering. Their report No. 98-127 is attached as an addendum to this report. The report indicated that the, "... fracture surfaces showed a majority of fracture features consistent with a failure in overstress." The report indicated that there was a uniformly blackened area on the edge of the surface located at the side of the radius of a cut-out. The blackened area was cleaned and found to be corroded. The corrosion was found in a pattern which appeared to coincide with the outline of the main landing gear leg.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:10 EST
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 150J
Tail NumberN51258
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-320-E2D · Reciprocating · 150
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 57 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility15 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point30 C / 0 C
Altimeter0
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data