- Date
- March 26, 1995, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oakland, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N757JQCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950326005389A
- Case key
- 9032
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 abrupt remedial action during the aborted landing attempt. Related factors are the student pilot's lack of total experience, inadequate airspeed and the low altitude.
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 reported that the airspeed was low (40 knots) and the stall warning horn activated during an aborted landing attempt. In response, he placed the aircraft in a nose down attitude while in close proximity to terrain. The aircraft impacted the ground nose first and came to rest inverted. The student pilot reported 23 hours total flight time.
Factual narrative
On Sunday, March 26, 1995, at 1015 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N757JQ, operated as a solo instructional flight, collided with a tree during an aborted landing attempt at Garrett County Airport, near Oakland, Maryland. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Oakland, Maryland, exact time unknown.
The student pilot had completed several landings with the certificated flight instructor (CFI), and the CFI decided to approve the student pilot for solo flight. The student pilot completed three solo touch and go landings and was landing to a full stop when the accident occurred. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the CFI witnessed the accident. He reported that the airplane landed hard, then bounced and seemed to "float". The CFI stated that after full power was applied the airplane pitched down and impacted terrain left of the runway then nosed over.
The student pilot stated that at touchdown "...the front started to shimmy ... I tried giving more power and pulled back on the yoke. It did not help. I then decided to do a go around.... heard the stall buzzer going off. I looked down, saw my speed was down to 40, so I tipped my nose over to get my speed up..." The aircraft impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. Post accident examination of the aircraft by a FAA safety inspector revealed no anomalies. The student pilot reported 23 hours of total flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757JQ
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15279780
- Airframe hours
- 5,268
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald & Brenda Dolan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 13, 1995 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- 2G4
- Airport
- 2G4 · Oakland Garrett County, runway 26, 3,000 × 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGW, 27 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.