- Date
- January 16, 1994, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pelion, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N69046Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940116000599A
- Case key
- 3340
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
Inadequate supervision by the instructor and inadequate compensation for wind conditions by the student pilot. The unfavorable wind condition for supervised solo landing training was a factor.
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 student pilot was on his second supervised solo flight, and on the third landing of the flight, when he lost directional control. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway into soft dirt. The solo student reported that a gust of wind from the right caused him to lose control of the airplane. No mechanical problems were reported with the airplane. The wind was reported gusting to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On January 16, 1994, at 1630 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N69046, collided with the ground while attempting a crosswind landing on runway 17 at Corporate Airport, Pelion, South Carolina. The supervised solo flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the student pilot was not injured. The flight departed West Columbia, South Carolina, at 1500 hours.
According to the Director of Flight Operation for Eagle Aviation, Corporate Airport is located within the local flying area and is routinely used for crosswind training. The student pilot and flight instructor completed two landings and the student was instructed to make three solo landings. The instructor got out of the airplane and the student taxied for takeoff. According to the student pilot, during the third cross wind landing a gust of wind hit the right side of the airplane and it veered off the left side of the runway. The student did not report a mechanical problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69046
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 152-82458
- Airframe hours
- 4,961
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Eagle Aviation
- Registered owner
- Watkins, Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 1994 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- CAE · West Columbia, SC
- Destination
- CAE
- Airport
- 6JO · Corporate Airport, runway 17, 4,350 × 60 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAE, 20 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.