OpenAirDocs.org

20011031031409A

Accident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Elberton, GA · October 31, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 31, 2001 · 13:50 local
Place
Elberton, GA
Airport
Elbert County-Patz Field Airport
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N93550
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL02LA014
Reported as
Cessna 152
Pilot’s certificate
Student
N93550Registered now · Cessna 152S/N 15285513 · Built 1982Airframe 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) Student departed gwinnett county - briscoe field, (lzu) at 1230 local and arrived vicinity of Elberton airport (27A) around 1310 local on the first leg of her first solo cross country. After about one (1) hour of searching the 27A approximate area, she could not find the airport and decided to land off airport in a farm field, about 5 miles from 27A, in order to reorient before continuing. It was a plowed field with soft shallow furrows and a dirt berm near the middle. The aircraft's nose gear struck the soft dirt berm after 300 feet rollout, which broke the nose gear from its mounts, after which the left wing tip hit the ground causing wing tip damage and major component damage to the left wing's rear spar. Failure of the student's instructor to properly track solo times and allow for local solo practice prior to the solo cross country phase and his failure to provide proper navigation, orientation, and lost procedures were major contributors to the incorrect decisions made by the student pilot and to the resulting accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) STUDENT DEPARTED GWINNETT COUNTY - BRISCOE FIELD, (LZU) AT 1230 LOCAL AND ARRIVED VICINITY OF ELBERTON AIRPORT (27A) AROUND 1310 LOCAL ON THE FIRST LEG OF HER FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. AFTER ABOUT ONE (1) HOUR OF SEARCHING THE 27A APPROXIMATE AREA, SHE COULD NOT FIND THE AIRPORT AND DECIDED TO LAND OFF AIRPORT IN A FARM FIELD, ABOUT 5 MILES FROM 27A, IN ORDER TO REORIENT BEFORE CONTINUING. IT WAS A PLOWED FIELD WITH SOFT SHALLOW FURROWS AND A DIRT BERM NEAR THE MIDDLE. THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE GEAR STRUCK THE SOFT DIRT BERM AFTER 300 FEET ROLLOUT, WHICH BROKE THE NOSE GEAR FROM ITS MOUNTS, AFTER WHICH THE LEFT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND CAUSING WING TIP DAMAGE AND MAJOR COMPONENT DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING'S REAR SPAR. FAILURE OF THE STUDENT'S INSTRUCTOR TO PROPERLY TRACK SOLO TIMES AND ALLOW FOR LOCAL SOLO PRACTICE PRIOR TO THE SOLO CROSS COUNTRY PHASE AND HIS FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROPER NAVIGATION, ORIENTATION, AND LOST PROCEDURES WERE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE INCORRECT DECISIONS MADE BY THE STUDENT PILOT AND TO THE RESULTING ACCIDENT.

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 ATL02LA014Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportElberton, GAThe student pilot's in-flight decision to land in a field, which resulted in an on-ground collision with a berm. Factors were the student's inadequate training and inadequate supervision by the flight instructor on the ground.Oct 31, 2001 · Substantial damage