NYC97LA079

Factual narrative

On April 22, 1997, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N6717F, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during a go-around at the Jake Arner Memorial Airport (22N), Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The student pilot and a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector (Operations, FSDO #05) received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a VFR flight plan was filed. The private pilot proficiency evaluation flight originated at 22N, at 1300, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the FAA Inspector (FSDO #5), the student pilot applicant was performing a simulated forced landing to runway 26 and was set up for the intended point of touchdown. The Inspector said he asked the applicant to perform a go-around, and when the flap lever was moved, the flaps failed to retract. The applicant gave the controls to the FAA Inspector and replaced a blown fuse for the flap actuating system. The Inspector explained that the fuse was replaced with the flap lever in the full 'up' position, which caused the flaps to retract and a loss of lift. He said, "...the airplane lost lift, stalled, dropped 60 to 100 feet and landed hard in a field..." The Inspector stated that there were no other mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. He stated that the flaps functioned properly during pre-flight and during the 45 minutes of flight prior to the accident. An FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (Operations, FSDO #13) recovered the blown fuse at the accident site. The student pilot had approximately 68 hours of flight experience. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12