Cessna 150F accident near Lexington, Tennessee, October 19, 1996
On October 19, 1996 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N7102F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Tennessee (Franklin Wilkins airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to abort the takeoff after encountering excessive ground roll, and failure (or inability) of the pilot to obtain/maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors relating to the accident were: restricted movement of the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve, due to improper engine overhaul by the previous owner/mechanic, and failure of the current owner to perform maintenance after being advised by a pilot of excessive rpm drop during a carburetor heat check.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 1996 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Tennessee · Franklin Wilkins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7102F · no longer on the register · serial 15063702
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot initially attempted to takeoff with a slight quartering tailwind, but he aborted the takeoff, then initiated a takeoff into the wind. Takeoff distance calculations showed that 1,315 feet would be required to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The airplane was observed to rotate about 4,300 feet down the 5,000 foot runway, climb to about 150 to 200 feet agl, roll left, then pitch nose down. The airplane impacted the ground nose and left wing low. Examination of the flight control systems revealed no evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve was open. Dimensional measurements of the exhaust valve stem and the valve guide revealed that they had less then the minimum clearance as required by the overhaul manual. Review of the engine logbooks revealed that the engine was overhauled by an A & P mechanic in 1988. The overhaul manual indicated that after replacement of the exhaust valve guides, they were to be reamed to size. The engine had accumulated 443.96 hours since overhaul at the time of the accident. A pilot, who had flown the accident airplane on a previous flight, noted excessive rpm drop during the carburetor heat check. The airplane owner had been notified of the excessive rpm drop, but review of the maintenance records did not reflect that engine maintenance was performed.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 809 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,527 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 1995; 20 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: M52 at 2:42 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:40 pm from M52, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.