Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the attempted takeoff from the touch and go landing. Factors were the inadvertent porpoise and the soft terrain.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During the traffic pattern for a touch-and-go, the pilot decided to make a short field landing. After the airplane touched down, the pilot moved the flap selector to the 'up' position, added power, and set the carburetor heat to the 'cold' position. The airplane became airborne and started to 'porpoise'. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, traveled through the grass, crossed a taxiway, and came to rest in wet grassy terrain 1,000 feet from the runway. The airplane firewall, left wing spar, and rear inner spar were damaged.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 17, 1994, at 1536 central standard time, a Cessna 150M, N150CL, was substantially damaged during landing at Spring, Texas. The student pilot did not receive injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local solo instructional flight. The pilot stated that he was cleared for touch and go on runway 35R at David Wayne Hooks Airport, Spring, Texas. During the right hand pattern turn from base to final, the altitude of the airplane was 800 feet MSL. The pilot decided to make a short field landing. According to his enclosed statement, after touchdown, the pilot "went flaps up, power on, carb heat in. Immediately the plane was airborne, in order to try to stabilize the plane I tried to 'feed out' the flaps slowly. The plane started to porpoise." The pilot was able to stabilize the porpoise but the plane drifted off the runway into soft ground. The operator and airplane owner reported the airplane departed the left side of runway 35R. Physical evidence indicated the airplane continued through the grass, crossed a taxiway, and came to rest in wet grassy terrain 1,000 feet from the runway. The airplane firewall, left wing spar, and rear inner spar were damaged. -