- Date
- December 27, 1990, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- South Boston, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N48918Cessna 152
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11652
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 student pilot's delay in taking appropriate action while encountering adverse weather conditions. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the weather conditions that were worse than forecast, and the unsuitable terrain.
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
While in the local practice area at 2,500 ft, the student pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions. Due to reduced ceilings and visibilities he made a precautionary landing on a private grass strip. Shortly after touchdown he noticed a ditch in front of him. Still holding full back pressure on the yoke, he applied full power to fly over the ditch. The airplane bounced several times before it impacted trees along the right side of the grass strip. During a weather briefing, the pilot was told that VFR conditions were forecast to continue during his anticipated flight time. He was warned of a storm approaching the area, but advised that it would not be a factor until later in the day.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48918
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283389
- Airframe hours
- 2,999
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Virginia Aviation
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 14, 1990 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- LYH · Lynchburg, VA
- Airport
- Private Strip, runway 36, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 36 total · 36 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LYH, 46 nm away
Other investigations on N48918 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.