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20000515006729A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Borrego Springs, CA · May 15, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 15, 2000 · 13:00 local
Place
Borrego Springs, CA
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N25213
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA194
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
188 total30 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N25213Registration cancelled Dec 10, 2001 · Cessna 152S/N 15280532 · Built 1977Airframe modelCessna 152Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

(-23) Pilot elected to land on public road for the sole purpose of accessing private property. After local law enforcement personnel forbid him from departing from the public road, the pilot elected to depart from adjacent private property. The unimproved departure area was 30 feet by 1700 feet of soft desert floor. The aircraft achieved liftoff, but then struck a palm tree on the departure end in gusting wind conditions. The aircraft impacted the ground to the right side of the projected departure path, inverted, and was substantially damaged. The sole occupant was uninjured. (.4) on may 15, 2000, about 1300 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N25213, owned and operated by bermuda air service, inc., collided with a tree during initial climb from an open field about 2 miles north of the uncontrolled Borrego valley airport, Borrego Springs, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was performed under 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private pilot was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the mishap. According to responding sheriff's officers , earlier during the day the pilot had made an unauthorized landing on a public road. The pilot reported that he had previously landed on the road as it was conveniently located near his business. The officers reported that for safety and other reasons, they would not authorize the pilot to depart from the road. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board investigator that, in response to information conveyed by the officers, he moved the rented airplane into an adjacent open dirt field, which he believed was adequate for his departure. The pilot owned the field, and after taking off he planned to fly to the Borrego valley airport. The pilot further reported that all airplane systems functioned normally, and he attempted to make a soft field takeoff with the wing flaps extended to the 10-degree position. Seconds after becoming airborne, a 5- to 15-knot wind gust pushed him slightly off course. The pilot further reported that he "failed to correct for the crosswind, allowing the plane to drift right approximately 100 feet . . . " thereafter, the airplane impacted a tree and came to rest upside down in the field.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON PUBLIC ROAD FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ACCESSING PRIVATE PROPERTY. AFTER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL FORBID HIM FROM DEPARTING FROM THE PUBLIC ROAD, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART FROM ADJACENT PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE UNIMPROVED DEPARTURE AREA WAS 30 FEET BY 1700 FEET OF SOFT DESERT FLOOR. THE AIRCRAFT ACHIEVED LIFTOFF, BUT THEN STRUCK A PALM TREE ON THE DEPARTURE END IN GUSTING WIND CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PROJECTED DEPARTURE PATH, INVERTED, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS UNINJURED. (.4) ON MAY 15, 2000, ABOUT 1300 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152, N25213, OWNED AND OPERATED BY BERMUDA AIR SERVICE, INC., COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF THE UNCONTROLLED BORREGO VALLEY AIRPORT, BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE MISHAP. ACCORDING TO RESPONDING SHERIFF'S OFFICERS , EARLIER DURING THE DAY THE PILOT HAD MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED LANDING ON A PUBLIC ROAD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY LANDED ON THE ROAD AS IT WAS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEAR HIS BUSINESS. THE OFFICERS REPORTED THAT FOR SAFETY AND OTHER REASONS, THEY WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE THE PILOT TO DEPART FROM THE ROAD. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT, IN RESPONSE TO INFORMATION CONVEYED BY THE OFFICERS, HE MOVED THE RENTED AIRPLANE INTO AN ADJACENT OPEN DIRT FIELD, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS ADEQUATE FOR HIS DEPARTURE. THE PILOT OWNED THE FIELD, AND AFTER TAKING OFF HE PLANNED TO FLY TO THE BORREGO VALLEY AIRPORT. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT ALL AIRPLANE SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY, AND HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF WITH THE WING FLAPS EXTENDED TO THE 10-DEGREE POSITION. SECONDS AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, A 5- TO 15-KNOT WIND GUST PUSHED HIM SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE "FAILED TO CORRECT FOR THE CROSSWIND, ALLOWING THE PLANE TO DRIFT RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET . . . " THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TREE AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN THE FIELD.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB LAX00LA194Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBorrego Springs, CAThe pilot's inadequate compensation for a crosswind condition during initial takeoff climb, which resulted a failure to maintain alignment and the airplane drifting into a nearby tree.May 15, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N25213 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900710032582IFinal Approach · Bermuda Dunes, CAStruck departing NR2668F while entering traffic pattern. Saw aircraft and began evasive maneuvers. Landed safely.Jul 10, 1990 · Minor damage