ERA21LA297

Factual narrative

On July 23, 2021, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N3059X, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Arden, North Carolina. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Asheville, North Carolina, and was climbing through 5,100 feet mean sea level when the engine “went to idle.” The pilot attempted to adjust the throttle setting; however, the tachometer continued to indicate 740 rpm. The pilot established best glide speed, declared an emergency, and turned back toward AVL. When he determined that he could not reach the airport, he performed a forced landing into a coal ash pit; during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing, rudder, and fuselage. The engine throttle cable was separated from the carburetor throttle control lever. The securing hardware (bolt/washer/cotter pin) was not found and there was no evidence of impact damage to the lever or carburetor. Examination of the carburetor after the airplane was recovered revealed that the throttle control lever was in the full forward (or wide-open) position, which matched the position of the cockpit control. The throttle control cable was separated from the intact throttle control lever. Further examination of the throttle control lever revealed that there was no spring installed. Review of maintenance records and the tachometer revealed that the accident occurred 15 hours after the airplane’s most recent annual inspection. The student pilot was climbing through 5,100 feet mean sea level when the engine “went to idle.” He attempted to adjust the throttle setting; however, the tachometer continued to indicate 740 rpm. The pilot established best glide speed, declared an emergency, and performed a forced landing into a coal ash pit, during which the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that the throttle control cable had separated from the throttle control lever and there was no spring installed. The securing hardware (bolt/washer/cotter pin) was not found. It is likely that the absence of the cotter pin was not noted during the annual inspection 15 hours before the accident, which allowed the bolt holding the throttle cable to the throttle control lever to loosen and depart during flight, resulting in an engine power reduction to idle. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine fuel and control-Fuel controlling system-Not serviced/maintained
• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine fuel and control-Fuel controlling system-Failure
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Maintenance-Scheduled/routine maintenance-Maintenance personnel