N502MA

On April 19, 2002, about 1705 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N502MA, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Wayne County Airport, Smithville, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated:

"I was practicing take-offs and landings [on runway 28]. I had done 3 landings and was on the 4th when all of a sudden the wind changed and picked up like a big microburst. I tried to keep the plane on the runway, but the wind was too strong. I gave it full throttle to try and get back into the air, but it picked me up and pushed me across the runway and over a bank, into a field where it flipped [over]."

In a follow-up telephone interview, the pilot reported that he had not observed any dust blowing or thunderstorms while in the traffic pattern. He did report that while on final approach, he noticed an increased crab for the crosswind. The airplane had just touched down and was on all three wheels, when it was hit by a gust and turned. He also reported that prior to the accident, the windsock had been hanging limp, and about 20 minutes after the accident, the winds had decreased to light winds.

According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the vertical fin was crushed. The nose landing gear was separated from the airplane, and the firewall was wrinkled. In addition, the left wing tip was pushed in and the wing skin was wrinkled.

The FAA inspector further reported that the airplane departed the left side of the runway, crossed a grassy area, followed by a taxiway, and then came to rest in a plowed field upside down.

According to archived airport weather reports taken from Wayne County Airport, at 1553, the wind was from 260 degrees at 7 knots, at 1653, the wind was from 270 degrees at 8 knots, and at 1707, it was from 340 degrees at 17 knots with gusts to 26 knots.

According to data from the FAA, runway 28 was 5,192 feet long, 100 feet wide, and had an asphalt surface.