Cessna 150M accident near Pocahontas, Arkansas, July 7, 1999
On July 7, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N7660U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pocahontas, Arkansas (Nick Wilson Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the carburetor heat control cable which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pocahontas, Arkansas · Nick Wilson Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N7660U · registry record · serial 150-77786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor noted a partial loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb from runway 36. Suspecting carburetor ice, he pulled the carburetor heat lever to the full hot (out) position, and the knob, with a portion of the control cable still attached, came all the way out. The power available with full carburetor heat on was not sufficient to maintain a climb rate. The flight instructor maneuvered the airplane to avoid trees and obstacles until he was able to execute a forced landing to an open field. During the landing roll in the soft dirt, the airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. Examination of the carburetor heat control cable confirmed that the control cable was fractured, and the carburetor heat lever was in the full 'on' position. Based on the physical appearance of the control cable, the flight instructor suspected that the cable was 'original equipment.' A review of the maintenance records by the FAA inspector revealed that the airplane had accumulated a total of 6,837 flight hours since new.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,765 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,590 as pilot in command; 2,328 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,837 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 19, 1999; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M70 at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from ARG, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.