- Date
- February 19, 1989, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5312QCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890219002259A
- Case key
- 5167
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a touch and go landing. A contributing factor is the pilot's lack of total flight experience.
Analysis
The 78 hour private pilot was attempting a touch and go landing. After a successful touch down, he added power to take off. As the power increased, the airplane veered quickly to the left on the icy runway. He reduced power, but was unable to regain complete directional control, and collided with two snow berms as he went off the left side of the runway. The nose gear collapsed when the airplane struck the second berm. The pilot stated that he had last flown on January 8, 1989, and had aprx 11 hours of flight time since he received his airman's certificated on August 31, 1988.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5312Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285098
- Airframe hours
- 2,338
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Elmendorf Aero Club
- Registered owner
- Somerville, James
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 6, 1988 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- EDF · Elmendorf Afb, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Z15 · Birchwood, runway 1, 4,000 × 100 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 78 total · 78 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.