20090218001179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Turlock, CA · February 18, 2009

Date
February 18, 2009 · 10:00 local
Place
Turlock, CA
Airport
Turlock Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
SRJS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N48761
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR09LA117
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
365 total50 in this make and model110 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.

A forced landing following a total loss of engine power occurred while conducting touch-and-go landings for training. On the 3rd takeoff, the engine suddenly lost power at approx 150FT AGL and the instructor pilot took over the flight controls and prepared for the emergency landing. Due to obstructions in the aircraft’s path (house and fence) the pilot turned the aircraft approx 20 to 25 degrees to the right along the perimeter fence and made contact with the ground at stall speed. The pilot held aft pressure on the yoke until the aircraft slowed down initially contacting the main gear. As the nose wheel contacted the ground, it dug into the soft soil causing the aircraft to invert itself.

As the FAA filed it

A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED WHILE CONDUCTING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS FOR TRAINING. ON THE 3RD TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AT APPROX 150FT AGL AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND PREPARED FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING. DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT’S PATH (HOUSE AND FENCE) THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT APPROX 20 TO 25 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT ALONG THE PERIMETER FENCE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AT STALL SPEED. THE PILOT HELD AFT PRESSURE ON THE YOKE UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN INITIALLY CONTACTING THE MAIN GEAR. AS THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE GROUND, IT DUG INTO THE SOFT SOIL CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO INVERT ITSELF.

NTSB investigation

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