Cessna 150 N3341V accident near Weslaco, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare while attempting to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a practice landing when the airplane touched down hard on the tailwheel, resulting in substantial damage to the aft fuselage. The pilot attempted to abort the landing but was unable to manipulate the elevator control surface due to the damage. During the attempt to abort the landing, the airplane struck a sign on the left side of the runway that separated the right main landing gear from the fuselage. The airplane then ground looped to the right, exited the right side of the runway, and came to rest. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 32 with wind from 070° at 10 knots.

The pilot reported having 5 hours as pilot in command (PIC) in the accident airplane before the accident and that he had not flown in about 4 months. The combination of inexperience and not having flown recently likely affected the pilot’s performance.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA110 for the full record.