WILLARD, NC, USA
N60840
CESSNA 150J
THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY HIS AIRPLANE TO A FRIEND'S FARM RATHER THAN THE LOCAL AIRPORT. SINCE THERE WAS NO AIRSTRIP AT THE FARM, THE PILOT AND THE FARM OWNER OBTAINED A FIRE TRUCK AND DROVE IT BACK AND FORTH OVER A PLOWED DIRT FIELD TO MAKE A LANDING SURFACE. THE PILOT THEN FLEW HIS AIRPLANE OVER TO THE FARM FOR LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN, HE COULD NOT LOWER THE NOSEWHEEL TO THE GROUND DUE TO THE ROUGH, UNEVEN CENTERLINE. HE ALSO FORGOT TO RAISE HIS FLAPS UPON LANDING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE FIRE TRUCK, WHICH WAS PARKED AT THE END OF THE 'RUNWAY'. IT THEN STRUCK AN IRON BAR AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD LANDED ON SIMILAR SURFACES ABOUT 80 TIMES BEFORE. AN FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE ENTIRE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS VERY ROUGH, WITH RUTS, HOLES, AND TIRE TRACKS.
PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING HIS AIRPLANE AND HIS FAILURE TO RAISE THE FLAPS AFTER LANDING. THIS RESULTED IN HIS INABILITY TO DECELERATE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH, UNEVEN RUNWAY CONDITION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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