Cessna 150J N50709 accident near Brookline, New Hampshire

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a wire during an off-airport landing following a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that the preflight inspection and engine run-up revealed no anomalies and that he subsequently departed for a solo cross-country flight. About 30 minutes into the flight, the student pilot observed low cloud ceilings and decided to return to his departure airport. Two minutes after turning the airplane back toward the airport, the engine power dropped below 2,000 rpm. The student pilot applied carburetor heat, but the engine power did not increase, so he proceeded to a nearby airport to initiate an emergency landing. However, the engine continued to lose rpm during the approach, so he decided to land in a small field. During the landing, the airplane impacted a wire and then the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

Although the left magneto exhibited severe wear on the cam and burnt points, a single magneto failure would not have caused the loss of engine power. No other anomalies with the engine were found that would have precluded normal operation. Although atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were favorable for the accumulation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power, it could not be determined if carburetor ice was present when the loss of partial power occurred.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA072 for the full record.