- Date
- August 30, 1995, 15:44 local (19:44 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsburg, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N68969Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950830027059A
- Case key
- 9079
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing/aborted landing sequence. A related factor is the student pilot's lack of total flight experience.
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
During a solo training flight, the student pilot returned to the airport to practice touch and go landings. On the second landing, the airplane bounced twice and began to drift left of centerline. The student pilot decided to go around and added full power. At this time, the left drift increased and the airplane left the runway. As the airplane bounced on the rough terrain, the pilot realized that he was not airborne. He pulled the throttle to idle and began to brake heavily. The airplane impacted trees 100 feet left of the runway.
Factual narrative
On August 30, 1995, at 1544 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N68969, sustained substantial damage during an aborted landing attempt at Eastern West Virginia Regional/Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia. The student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The local solo instructional flight originated from Eastern West Virginia Regional/Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia, at 1500.
The student pilot departed the class "D" airspace for a local solo training flight. Upon return, the student pilot requested touch and go landings. On the second landing attempt, the airplane bounced twice and the student pilot decided to go around. The student pilot stated that the airplane had already begun to drift left and as full power was added, the left drift increased rapidly. After the airplane veered off the runway, it began to bounce on the rough terrain. The pilot stated that in the excitement of the moment he forgot to push the carburetor heat knob in ("off" position) and to raise the flaps to the full up position. When the pilot realized that he was not airborne, he pulled the throttle to idle and began to brake heavily. The airplane impacted a tree located 100 feet left of the runway and abeam the 2000 foot remaining marker.
During an interview with the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the student pilot stated that the engine and flight controls responded normally the entire flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68969
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282419
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Newbold
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MRB
- Airport
- MRB · Eastern West Virginia Reg, runway 26, 7,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 39 in this make and model · 17 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.