19981103039209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Houston, TX · November 3, 1998

Date
November 3, 1998 · 09:30 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
David Wayne Hooks Memorial Arp
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N46887
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA019
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
22 total17 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) On November 3, 1998, at 0930 central standard time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N46887, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during takeoff roll from the David Wayne Hooks memorial airport, near tomball, Texas. The solo student pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by ab aviation inc., of tomball, Texas, under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the Hooks airport approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. In a written statement submitted by the student's flight instructor, the flight instructor reported that the morning training flight was initiated with 5 uneventful dual touch and go landings. The airplane was taxied back to the ramp, and after the proper endorsements by the flight instructor, the student was cleared for his first solo flight. The flight instructor further stated that "the student's first solo takeoff, pattern and landing were normal." According to the FAA inspector who repsonded to the accident site, the 22 hour student pilot lost control of the airplane after applying takeoff power during the takeoff roll from runway 17R. Personnel in the control tower observed the airplane depart the left side of the runway into muddy ground adjacent to the edge of the runway and "flip over." Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed that the vertical stabilizer was crushed and the fuselage sustained structural damage aft of the baggage compartment. The inspector confirmed that the ground beyond the edges of the runway was muddy with standing water in several spots; however, there was no standing water on the runway. The winds at the time of the accident were reported as variable at 3 knots. (-23) N46887 was being piloted by Mr. Hunt on his first solo flight. Upon power application after a touch and go on RWY17R at dwh the aircraft swerved to the left and departed the runway. The nose wheel dug in a soft spot in the grass on the left side of the runway and the aircraft flipped onto it's topside/back. Forward bends on the propeller indicate that a high power setting on the engine was set as if to takeoff again. There were no injuries to the solo student pilot. Planning to reexamine the instructor pilot for f ailure to properly prepare the student for his first solo. Counseled the student pilot 11/03/1998 on the effects of torque, p-factor and maintaining directional control on power application.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON NOVEMBER 3, 1998, AT 0930 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152 AIRPLANE, N46887, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF ROLL FROM THE DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEMORIAL AIRPORT, NEAR TOMBALL, TEXAS. THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY AB AVIATION INC., OF TOMBALL, TEXAS, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE HOOKS AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE MORNING TRAINING FLIGHT WAS INITIATED WITH 5 UNEVENTFUL DUAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP, AND AFTER THE PROPER ENDORSEMENTS BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS CLEARED FOR HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FURTHER STATED THAT "THE STUDENT'S FIRST SOLO TAKEOFF, PATTERN AND LANDING WERE NORMAL." ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO REPSONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE 22 HOUR STUDENT PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER APPLYING TAKEOFF POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM RUNWAY 17R. PERSONNEL IN THE CONTROL TOWER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO MUDDY GROUND ADJACENT TO THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND "FLIP OVER." EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS CRUSHED AND THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AFT OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE INSPECTOR CONFIRMED THAT THE GROUND BEYOND THE EDGES OF THE RUNWAY WAS MUDDY WITH STANDING WATER IN SEVERAL SPOTS; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER ON THE RUNWAY. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. (-23) N46887 WAS BEING PILOTED BY MR. HUNT ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. UPON POWER APPLICATION AFTER A TOUCH AND GO ON RWY17R AT DWH THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE WHEEL DUG IN A SOFT SPOT IN THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ONTO IT'S TOPSIDE/BACK. FORWARD BENDS ON THE PROPELLER INDICATE THAT A HIGH POWER SETTING ON THE ENGINE WAS SET AS IF TO TAKEOFF AGAIN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT. PLANNING TO REEXAMINE THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT FOR F AILURE TO PROPERLY PREPARE THE STUDENT FOR HIS FIRST SOLO. COUNSELED THE STUDENT PILOT 11/03/1998 ON THE EFFECTS OF TORQUE, P-FACTOR AND MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON POWER APPLICATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.