- Date
- January 4, 1989, 13:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Theodore, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N69015Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890104000179A
- Case key
- 7974
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
Pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent collision with the ground.
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 reported that he heard a 'snap' noise while maneuvering at 500 ft AGL; the airplane began to descend & he realized that he had no elevator control. Witnesses reported however, that the airplane was maneuvering 'real low' & 'slow' and the wings were wobbling just before the airplane nosed over and crashed. One witness estimated that the airplane was maneuvering at no more than 50 ft AGL when it began to drop. Examination of the flight controls by an IA mechanic shortly after the accident revealed that the elevator cables were intact, and that there was no evidence of any pre-existing malfunction or failure in the elevator control system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69015
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282434
- Airframe hours
- 5,747
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mobile Flight Training, Inc
- Registered owner
- Boykin, Frank W II.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 6, 1988 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- 4R9 · Dauphin Island, AL
- Destination
- BFM · Mobile, AL
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 105 total · 102 in this make and model · 57 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.