N4748X

On September 24, 1997, at 1830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150G, N4748X, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to the New London Airport (W90), Forest, Virginia. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight that originated from W90, at 1800. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a telephone interview, the student pilot (SP) reported he was flying an extended downwind leg to land on runway 16, at W90. He said he performed his pre-landing check and reduced power to 1,500 RPM for the approach. The initial approach angle was steep, so he "cut" engine power and slipped the airplane to increase his rate of descent. When he turned final, his approach angle was too shallow. He applied power and received no response; the engine continued to run at idle power.

The SP stated the airplane was at approximately 50 feet on final approach when the propeller stopped turning. He attempted to maneuver through an area of low obstacles, which included 5 to 6 foot high tree stumps, and cross a road to a grass area on the airport.

The pilot stated:

"Approximately 10 feet above the ground, I thought I'd make the grass. I started my flare and I think I might have hit a stump. It jerked the whole airplane nose down. I hit all three gear on the road, but hit so hard, the nose gear broke off. The airplane slid across the road, struck the ditch, and nosed over."

A witness reported in a telephone interview that he went to the airplane to render assistance. He also said, "The airplane clipped off two dead trees and a barbed wire fence...I got in the airplane and the throttle was in, the mixture was out, and the carburetor heat was off."

In a telephone interview, the airplane owner said he recovered the airplane to a hanger and attempted to start the engine. He stated, "I started the airplane and it ran like a top. Perfect."

The student pilot reported that he had started flying lessons on two occasions beginning in 1989, accrued approximately 10 hours of flight time, and then stopped. He began lessons again in August, 1997, and accrued approximately 8 hours of flight time prior to the accident.