Cessna 150L accident near Guntersville, AL
On January 18, 1998, a Cessna 150L (airplane) was involved in an accident near Guntersville, AL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- January 18, 1998
- Place
- Guntersville, AL
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.350°N, 86.270°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09396
NTSB summary
On January 17, 1998, at 1850 central standard time, a Cessna 150L, N7443G, ditched in the Tennessee River following a total loss of engine power near Guntersville, Alabama. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was located on January 21, 1998. The private pilot was fatally injured during the attempted swim to safety. The passenger received minor injuries. The flight departed Albertville, Alabama, at 1800 CST. The passenger told an FAA Safety Inspector that the airplane was topped off with fuel before he and the pilot departed Albertville Airport, in Albertville, Alabama. The passenger also stated that he conducted the preflight inspection and did not observe a problem with the airplane. The passenger stated that he was in the left front seat and the pilot was in the right front seat. The passenger also reported that he was flying the airplane when the pilot shut the engine down as a simulated engine out. The airplane was about a mile south of the airport when the practice emergency was attempted. According to the passenger, after the total loss of engine power, the pilot attempted to restart the engine. When the engine failed to restart, the pilot took the flight controls and elected to ditch the airplane in the river. After the relatively smooth touchdown, the airplane floated and both occupants exited the airplane. The passenger said they climbed on top of the airplane and decided to swim to
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional shut down of the engine in flight that resulted in the total loss of engine power. A factor was the failure of both magnetos.
More accidents in AL
- Beech C99, Jul 10, 1991
- Cessna 421A, Jun 22, 1983
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Browse: Alabama · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
