Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper decision to land with a tailwind, and his inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. A factor was the tailwind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 14, 2004, at 1430 central daylight time, a Cessna 150, N7795E, was substantially damaged during landing at the David Lowe Airport (80KY), Sacramento, Kentucky. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from runway 34, at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, he observed "dark clouds" surrounding the airport, and decided to return to the airport to land. As he turned onto final approach at 700 feet, and about 65 mph, he noticed the wind was blowing from the southwest, and applied left aileron and right rudder to compensate for it. During the landing flare, a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right. The airplane touched down on the right side of the runway, but the pilot was unable to maintain correction with full left rudder and braking. The airplane then continued off the runway, and impacted a parked car and then a garage door on the airport, before coming to rest.
Winds reported at an airport about 40 miles to the southwest, at 1353, were from 180 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC04CA125