# Accident 19991129036619A: Cessna 152, Surprise, AZ, November 29, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 29, 1999, 14:05 local time - Place: Surprise, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.6393° N, 112.3801° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6393&lon=-112.3801&mi=10 - Aircraft: N48WT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48WT-2013-04-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 - Reported engine: LYC O235L2C - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 6,600 total, 150 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA044) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991129036619A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 29, 1999, AT 1405 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N48WT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN OPEN FIELD AT SUN CITY WEST, ARIZONA, ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY THE GLOBAL GROUP, INC., GLENDALE, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT, WHO HELD A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANES, WAS NOT INJURED. THE POSITIONING FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS EN ROUTE TO GLENDALE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS THE CHIEF PILOT OF A 14 CFR PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL IN GLENDALE. HE REPORTED THAT ON NOVEMBER 26, A RENTAL PILOT HAD BEEN RETURNING TO GLENDALE AND HAD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE FIELD AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. THE AIRPLANE SAT IN THE FIELD UNATTENDED OVER THE WEEKEND. THE CHIEF PILOT STATED THAT HIS DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE CAME OUT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE; NONE WAS FOUND. THE PURPOSE OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS TO TRANSPORT THE AIRPLANE BACK TO GLENDALE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY MOVED THE AIRPLANE TO A DIRT ROAD NEXT TO THE FIELD AND PU T IN ABOUT 15 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND CONTROL CHECK, DURING WHICH HE NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES. HE TOOK OFF WITH 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND ROTATED AT 55 KNOTS AFTER AN APPROXIMATE 1,250-FOOT GROUND ROLL. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE PUSHED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE OVER TO GAIN AIRSPEED, THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TURNING LEFT. HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE TURN. HE STATED THAT HIS AIRSPEED WAS IN THE 50-KNOT RANGE, BUT ABOUT 35 TO 40 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SETTLE WHILE STILL IN AN 18- TO 20-DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE STALL WARNING INDICATOR DID NOT ACTIVATE AT ANY TIME. THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THAT HE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING UNUSUAL. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE BANK LEFT AFTER TAKEOFF, THEN IMPACT THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDS SEEMED TO ALTERNATE FROM CALM TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)PILOT REPORTED THAT ON TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB, A/C MADE AN UNCONTROLLEDROLL TO THE LEFT. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT AILERON AND RIGHT RUDDER BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND AND THEN THE PROPELLER/NOSE OF THE A/C STRUCK THE GROUND. THE A/C THEN CAME TO REST ON IT'S BACK INVERTED. (.4) THE PILOT IS CHIEF PILOT FOR A FLIGHT SCHOOL, AND REPORTED THAT A RENTER PILOT HAD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A COW PASTURE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. THE AIRPLANE SAT IN THE FIELD UNATTENDED OVER THE WEEKEND. THE PILOT AND ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S MECHANICS ASSESSED THE DAMAGE; NONE WAS FOUND. THE PILOT PLANNED TO TRANSPORT THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HE PUT IN FUEL AND PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND CONTROL CHECK WITH NO NOTED DISCREPANCIES. THE PILOT AND THE MECHANIC THEN MOVED THE AIRPLANE TO A ROUGH DIRT ROAD; THE PILOT MEASURED THE AVAILABLE TAKEOFF DISTANCE ABOUT 1,500 FEET. HE REPORTED THAT THE TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB OUT SEEMED NORMAL, BUT THE AIRPLANE THEN STARTED TURNING LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE TURN. HIS AIRSPEED WAS IN THE 50-KNOT RANGE, BUT ABOUT 35 TO 40 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SETTLE WHILE STILL IN AN 18- TO 20-DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE STALL WARNING INDICATOR DID NOT ACTIVATE AT ANY TIME. THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDS ALTERNATED FROM CALM TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT 1 TO 2 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FLAPS, AILERONS, AND RUDDERS OPERATED NORMALLY. NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH ANY AIRFRAME OR ENGINE SYSTEM. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX00LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA044), Nov 29, 1999: Cessna 152 (N48WT), Surprise, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during takeoff from a short and unimproved dirt road, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush condition and impact with the ground. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.