NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 4, 2001, at 1305 central daylight time, a Cessna 150G airplane, N6212S, was destroyed when it impacted terrain after an encounter with weather while maneuvering at a private airstrip near Sargent, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The non-instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for the Bay City Municipal Airport, Bay City, Texas.

According to the family of the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane to the Bay City Municipal Airport. The pilot had stated that he wanted to "get the airplane up to Bay City before the rain starts." They also reported that, to their knowledge, the pilot was not under medical treatment or experiencing any health problems.

According to the owner of the 2,700-foot grass airstrip, the airplane had been parked for approximately one week prior to the accident and was stuck in the mud due to rain. On the day of the accident, he assisted the pilot by helping him pull the airplane from the mud. The airstrip owner stated that just before the airplane departed his airstrip, it was raining "heavily," and he had told the pilot not to fly because "the wind and rain was too bad." He witnessed the pilot get into the airplane, taxi to the north end of the airstrip, and takeoff toward the south. The owner of the airstrip did not observe the pilot perform a pre-takeoff engine run-up.

One witness, who was in a building adjacent to the airstrip, observed the airplane takeoff. He stated that he "could not believe that the airplane was taking off in the driving rain."

Two witnesses, who were driving along FM457, reported that they observed the airplane traveling on a northerly heading (consistent with a downwind leg), approximately 50-100 feet agl. The airplane entered a "sharp" left turn to a southerly heading and, subsequently, impacted an open field. One witness stated that "the aircraft appeared to stall." The witnesses added that the accident occurred during a thunderstorm.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

On May 3, 1976, the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate (single-engine land). According to an FAA medical application dated September 20, 2001, the pilot had accumulated a total of 1,862 flight hours. The pilot's last valid FAA third class medical certificate was dated May 15, 1992, and contained a limitation for corrective lenses. The pilot underwent an FAA medical examination on September 20, 2001. The medical examiner did not issue the pilot a medical certificate. The medical certificate was deferred for further evaluation due to multiple medications and type II diabetes. (See Medical & Pathological Information section of this report for further information.)

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The 1967 airplane was equipped with a 100-horsepower Teledyne Continental O-200-A engine and a 2-bladed, fixed pitch McCauley propeller. According to the airplane's logbooks, on March 3, 1997, the airplane, engine, and propeller underwent their last annual inspection. At the time of the last annual inspection, the airframe had accumulated a total of 4,132.2 hours, and the engine had accumulated a total of 719.7 hours since major overhaul. The final entry in the airframe logbook, which followed the March 3, 1997, annual inspection entry, was dated July 19, 2001. The entry revealed that the transponder had been inspected. At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated a total of 4,418.8 flight hours and the engine had accumulated a total of 1,006.3 hours since major overhaul.

According to a bill of sale, the airplane was purchased by the pilot on July 21, 2001.

The airplane was equipped with lapbelts; however, shoulder harnesses were not installed.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1253, the weather observation facility located at the Brazoria County Airport, Angleton, Texas, (located 19 nautical miles northeast of the accident site) reported wind from 160 degrees at 14 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken cloud layers at 3,900, 4,900 and 6,000 feet, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.06 inches of Mercury. The remarks section stated: lightning distant south and southwest.

At 1253, the weather observation facility located at the Palacios Municipal Airport, Palacios, Texas, (located 30 miles southwest of the accident site) reported wind from 160 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 82 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 73 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of Mercury. The remarks section stated: lightning distant east and southeast.

Radar summary images were reviewed by an NTSB meteorologist. Radar summary images for 1252t, 1307, and 1321 revealed that a Level 3/4 thunderstorm, and possibly a Level 5 thunderstorm, were in the vicinity of the airstrip at the time of the accident.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane came to rest in an open field, 0.16 nautical miles north-northeast of the north end of the runway. According to a GPS receiver, the accident site was located at north 028 degrees 48.927 minutes latitude and west 095 degrees 38.952 minutes longitude. The airplane came to rest on a measured magnetic heading of 235 degrees. The energy path was approximately 20 feet in length and oriented on a measured magnetic heading of 295 degrees. The airplane came to rest with the cabin inverted, resting on the empennage.

The airframe was examined. The fuel caps were removed from each wing fuel tank and a sample of fuel was taken from each tank. Each sample had a "straw-like" color and smelled similar to automotive fuel. Flight control continuity was established for the aileron, elevator, elevator trim and rudder flight control systems. The wing flaps were found extended 10 degrees.

The cockpit was documented. The throttle was found in the full forward position, the mixture control was found in the idle/cut-off position, and the carburetor heat was found in the off position. The taxi light, landing light and navigation lights were found in the off position.

The engine separated from the engine mounts and remained attached to the airframe by the throttle and mixture control cables. The throttle and mixture cables were cut by investigators, and the engine was positioned on the ground for an examination. Impact damage was confined to the right magneto, which was separated from its drive coupling. The propeller was rotated and crankshaft continuity was confirmed to the accessory gear and valve action was confirmed on each cylinder. The bottom spark plugs were removed and a "thumb compression" check was conducted; thumb compression was not attained on any of the cylinders. The engine was moved to the Bay City Municipal Airport, and a compression check was performed on each cylinder with compressed air and an uncalibrated gauge. The following compression ratios were observed; #1 20/80, #2 0/80, #3 0/80, #4 20/80. The carburetor was removed. The metal floats were intact and a combination of fuel and water was found in the bowl. The magnetos were examined. The left magneto was partially separated. The left magneto produced a spark at each lead when manually turned. The right magneto was providing a "shock" through the case when it was manually rotated. The right magneto did not produce a spark at its leads. The engine was then sent to the Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) facility in Mobile, Alabama for further examination.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The pilot did not possess a current FAA medical certificate. On the pilot's last aviation medical examination, dated 09/20/2001, he was noted to have a history of diabetes (with fasting blood sugars between 100 and 132) on oral medications, high blood pressure controlled by medication, and diverticulitis treated with Clindex (clidinium/chlordiazepoxide). The aviation medical examiner performing the examination did not issue a medical certificate, noting that issuance had been deferred for further evaluation.

An autopsy was performed by the Office of the Medical Examiner of Harris County, Houston, Texas. Toxicological testing was performed by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) of Oklahoma, City, Oklahoma. The tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. The following were detected: 0.105 (ug/ml, ug/g) nordiazepam in blood, an unquantified amount of nordiazepam in liver, and an unquantified amount of oxazepam in blood. Nordiazepam and oxazepam are metabolites of chlordiazepoxide. A clinical report from CAMI revealed a hemoglobin A1C in blood of 6.7%.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The engine was examined at TCM under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. The magnetos were placed on a test stand and functionally tested. Both magnetos produced a bright spark across a 7mm spark gap. The cylinders and pistons were examined, and each exhibited "normal operational signatures." The engine underwent a complete teardown examination, and no evidence of catastrophic or preaccident failure was noted.

ADDITIONAL DATA

The airframe was released to the owner's representative on October 5, 2001. The engine was released to the owner's representative on July 16, 2002.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors were the pilot's flight into known adverse weather, his self-induced pressure to complete the flight and the thunderstorm.