- Date
- August 31, 1989, 22:30 local (Sep 1, 1989, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tiptonville, TN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N25799Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890831033239A
- Case key
- 7917
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 pilot's failure to maintain a proper climb rate after takeoff. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, the pilot's lack of visual cues, his habit of making shallow climbs after takeoff, his lack of recent night flying experience, and the trees.
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.
Analysis
The plt made a ngt takeoff fm an arpt on level terrain in a sparsely populated area. Shortly after takeoff, the acft collided with a group of trees about 1/3 mi from the dep end of the rwy & slightly left of the rwy centerline. It remained airborne for about 225 ft beyond the trees, then crashed in a corn field. An exam of the wreckage revealed no pre-existing mechanical problems. The instrument rated plt had last logged night flt experience about 16 months earlier. He had obtained a biennial flt review from a CFI, 2 days before the acdnt. The CFI rprtd that the plt had demonstrated a tendency to make shallow climbs after taking off. The CFI, who was acquainted with the plt, expressed the opinion that the plt had developed the tendency when he previously owned an acft with poor climb performance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25799
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280791
- Airframe hours
- 2,497
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Davis, Jerrie W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 1989 · 78 hours before
- Destination
- DYR · Dyersburg, TN
- Airport
- OM2 · Reelfoot Lake, runway 1, 3,500 × 75 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DYR, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N25799 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.