Cessna 150M accident near La Belle, Florida, August 13, 2002
On August 13, 2002 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N704TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Belle, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper in-flight planning and failure to use carburetor heat while conditions existed that were conductive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2002 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- La Belle, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N704TJ · no longer on the register · serial 15078858
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he was conducting a long solo cross-country flight, proceeding east to La Belle, Florida, and while en route the airplane's engine started to sound as if it was "back-firing, missing, or a combination of the two." He stated that engine power decreased, but all gages exhibited normal indications. As he tried advancing the throttle to increase engine power in an attempt to maintain altitude, he said the engine performed worse. He said he was afraid he would blow the engine over an unsuitable landing area, so he veered north to follow Highway 80 in case the engine ceased operating. As he followed the highway he said the airplane continued to loose altitude, and he opted to make a landing on a straight portion of Highway 80, about 2 miles west of La Belle, Florida. He said he chose to land on the north berm of the highway and during touchdown the airplane skipped and started skidding. The right wing impacted a palm tree and spun the airplane around causing substantial damage. The student stated that he never applied carburetor heat, or even considered applying carburetor heat because the loss of power he was experiencing was not what he had associated with carburetor ice. He stated that he had come to expect a steady loss of engine power, rather than the engine back firing and missing as had happened. After recovery, the engine was examined by an FAA licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic, with an inspection authorization rating, and no anomalies were noted. The mechanic stated that during the examination there was good compression on all cylinders, and during test runs, the engine developed power normally. According to the carburetor icing chart, conditions were conductive to the formation of visible icing while the airplane was being operated at glide and cruise power settings.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,735 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 2002; 29 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: FMY Ft. Myers FL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: X14 Labelle FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from FMY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.