Cessna 150 accident near Lehighton, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1997
On April 22, 1997 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N6717F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lehighton, Pennsylvania (Jake Arner Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
replacement of the flap actuating system fuse by the pilot-in-command with the flap actuating handle in the fully retracted position. This resulted in the retraction of the flaps, an inadvertent stall/mush, and the subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1997 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lehighton, Pennsylvania · Jake Arner Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N6717F · no longer on the register · serial 15063317
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was undergoing a private pilot proficiency evaluation. During a go-around following a simulated forced landing, the flaps failed to retract. The student pilot gave the controls to the flight examiner and replaced the fuse for the flap actuating system. The fuse was installed with the flap handle in the fully retracted position, which resulted in the operation and inadvertent retraction of the flaps. The student pilot stated that the airplane then stalled, descended 60 to 100 feet, and landed hard in a field.
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: student
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 15, 1996; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 22N Reading PA at 4:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from AVP, 30 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.