Cessna 150H N50326 accident near Paris, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to takeoff with known obstacles on the runway and his subsequent failure to avoid the windsock on takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that while performing a soft and short field takeoff, he allowed the airplane to drift left to avoid crawfish chimneys on the grass runway. Immediately after the wheels left the ground the left wing impacted a windsock. The pilot continued to climb to about 30 ft above the ground at which time the airplane’s left wing lost lift and began to turn towards nearby trees. The pilot elected to land and during the landing the nose gear dropped, dug into the soft ground, and collapsed. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and the right wing. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported he was aware of the crawfish chimneys and normally they would have been removed before the flight, but the tractor used for that purpose was not working. He said he should not have flown until the runway was cleared and paid more attention to the airplane’s alignment on the runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA158 for the full record.