19990512005049A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Washington, OK · May 12, 1999

Date
May 12, 1999 · 18:00 local
Place
Washington, OK
Phase of flight
Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4608Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA138
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
600 total500 in this make and model300 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.

Instructor and student pilot were practicing emergency procedures when the student pilot froze on the controls and the acft struck a berm, spun, caught fire, and burned, other circumstances are unknown. (.4) the airplane stalled & entered a spin (500 ft AGL) as the student pilot applied 'excessive left rudder' during a practice emergency landing. The flight instructor performed the emergency spin recovery procedures & stopped the spin at low altitude. The airplane struck a tree, impacted an embankment, and burst into flames. The instructor reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft. In the student's opinion, the accident could have been prevented with 'proper maintenance.' He reported that the controls 'froze up.' All flight controls were accounted for at the accident site. Flight control continuity was established from the primary flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls. All cockpit flap controls and indicators were destroyed. Due to impact damage, flap cable continuity could not be established. Examination of the right flap drive indicated that the flaps were up. A review of the maintenance records revealed no open aircraft discrepancies. (-23)the flight instructor said that the student used excessive rudder control during a turn to a practice engine out landing. The aircraft stalled and went into a spin. The flight instructor struggled to take control from the student pilot who said he thought the flight controls were stuck. The flight instructor recovered from the spin, but the aircraft struck a tree. The left wing was damaged, and the fuel tank was ruptured. The aircraft impacted nose first on the earthen dam of a pond and spun around, then the fuel caught fire. The instructor and student pilot suffered severe burns, and the student had a broken leg. The aircraft was destryoed. The fire was intense and burned away the cabin, fuselage, and left wing inboard of the wing strut.

As the FAA filed it

INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE PRACTICING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WHEN THE STUDENT PILOT FROZE ON THE CONTROLS AND THE ACFT STRUCK A BERM, SPUN, CAUGHT FIRE, AND BURNED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) THE AIRPLANE STALLED & ENTERED A SPIN (500 FT AGL) AS THE STUDENT PILOT APPLIED 'EXCESSIVE LEFT RUDDER' DURING A PRACTICE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY SPIN RECOVERY PROCEDURES & STOPPED THE SPIN AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE, IMPACTED AN EMBANKMENT, AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. IN THE STUDENT'S OPINION, THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH 'PROPER MAINTENANCE.' HE REPORTED THAT THE CONTROLS 'FROZE UP.' ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THE PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES TO THEIR RESPECTIVE COCKPIT CONTROLS. ALL COCKPIT FLAP CONTROLS AND INDICATORS WERE DESTROYED. DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE, FLAP CABLE CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT FLAP DRIVE INDICATED THAT THE FLAPS WERE UP. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO OPEN AIRCRAFT DISCREPANCIES. (-23)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT THE STUDENT USED EXCESSIVE RUDDER CONTROL DURING A TURN TO A PRACTICE ENGINE OUT LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND WENT INTO A SPIN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STRUGGLED TO TAKE CONTROL FROM THE STUDENT PILOT WHO SAID HE THOUGHT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE STUCK. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECOVERED FROM THE SPIN, BUT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE. THE LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED, AND THE FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED NOSE FIRST ON THE EARTHEN DAM OF A POND AND SPUN AROUND, THEN THE FUEL CAUGHT FIRE. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT SUFFERED SEVERE BURNS, AND THE STUDENT HAD A BROKEN LEG. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTRYOED. THE FIRE WAS INTENSE AND BURNED AWAY THE CABIN, FUSELAGE, AND LEFT WING INBOARD OF THE WING STRUT.

NTSB investigation

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