Benson Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Uvalde, Texas 78801
Sunday, June 28, 1998 14:00 CDT

The airplane impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent following an inadvertent stall by the 600-hour commercial pilot during the initial takeoff climb from the 3,300 foot paved runway. Density altitude was 3,500 feet. The takeoff flap setting was at least 10 degrees of flaps, although the Cessna 150 owner's manual recommends the use of 10 degrees flaps only for takeoff from soft or rough fields with no obstacles ahead. According to the pilot-rated passenger, during the takeoff roll, the pilot 'kept the nose wheel at a high angle,' and the airplane 'lumbered' off the ground. After completing a left turn to avoid obstacles, the pilot added more flaps, and the airplane stalled and impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. Although the pilot reported a gradual loss of engine power, the passenger did not, and an examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical discrepancies. In the 90 days before the accident, the pilot had flown 64 hours; however, 60 of these hours were in multi-engine airplanes, and only 2 hours were in a Cessna 150.

The pilot's improper use of the flaps which resulted in an inadvertent stall during the initial takeoff climb. Factors were his lack of recent experience in the make and model of airplane and the high density altitude.