ANC08LA023

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Miami, FL · December 1, 2007

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 1, 2007, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
Place
Miami, FL
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N169LCCessna 152
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 30, 2008
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Miami
Case key
67267

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The loss of engine power during takeoff initial climb for an undetermined reason.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine powerTakeoff - initial climb
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
In flight collision with terrain/waterEmergency landing after takeoff
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The flight instructor and student pilot returned to the airport to do touch-and-go landings. Following the first touch-and-go, the airplane climbed to about 200 feet above the runway, and the engine started to run rough and lose rpm. The flight instructor attempted to return to the runway. He reported that the airplane landed hard about 80 feet short of a water retention pond, and rolled into the pond, coming to rest inverted. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that during the accident the tail was separated from the cabin section. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB, and it is unknown what precipitated the loss of engine power.

Factual narrative

On December 1, 2007, about 1645 Eastern standard time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N169LC, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain, following an emergency descent and landing after takeoff, at the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Miami, Florida. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport about 1530.

In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) dated December 9, the flight instructor reported that they returned to the airport about 1640 to do touch-and-go landings. Following the first touch-and-go, the airplane had climbed to about 200 feet above the runway when the engine started to run rough and lose rpm. According to the flight instructor, he declared an emergency, and attempted to return to the runway. He reported that he was unable to make the runway, the airplane landed hard about 80 feet short of a water retention pond, and rolled into the pond, coming to rest inverted. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that during the accident the tail was separated from the cabin section.

The airplane was not examined by the NTSB.

Aircraft

Registration
N169LC
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15279994
Airframe hours
1,684
Engine
Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Dean International
Registered owner
Ja Megna Aircraft LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · November 1, 2007
Departed
TMB · Miami, FL
Airport
KTMB · Kendall Tamiami Executive Airp, runway 09L, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
24
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 1, 2007
Seat
Right
Flight hours
961 total · 520 in this make and model · 920 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
90° at 14 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
30.14 inHg
Observed at
KTMB