CEN12LA314

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Ardmore, OK · May 21, 2012

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 21, 2012, 18:50 local (23:50 UTC)
Place
Ardmore, OK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6102QCessna 152
Defining event
Landing-aborted after touchdown: Miscellaneous/other
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report August 13, 2013
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20120521012499A
Case key
83745

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's improper configuration of the airplane flaps during an aborted landing, which resulted in an inadequate climb rate and subsequent collision with trees.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: configurationAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operationCessna 152: 1 caseAll aircraft: 80 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: climb rateAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 152: 2 casesAll aircraft: 265 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna 152: 7 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The student pilot landed at the wrong airport during a solo flight. He aborted the landing and initiated a climb; however, he left the flaps fully extended. Because of the drag due to the flap extension, the airplane could not climb sufficiently to avoid trees at the departure end of the runway and impacted the trees.

Factual narrative

On May 21, 2012, at 1850 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6102Q, impacted trees, power line(s), and the ground following an aborted landing at Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport (1F0), Ardmore, Oklahoma, after the student pilot realized he touched down at the wrong airport. The student pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by US Aviation Group LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Denton Municipal Airport, Denton, Texas, about 1720 and was destined to Ardmore Municipal Airport,(ADM), Ardmore, Oklahoma. The student pilot received VFR flight following services during his solo flight to ADM, which was about 10.7 nautical miles northeast of 1F0. The student pilot stated that at his last planned checkpoint prior to ADM, Fort Worth Center instructed him to contact ADM Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and that ADM was at his 12 O'clock position and 10 miles. He said that when he contacted ADM ATCT, he told ADM ATCT that he was 10 miles from ADM, but ADM said that he was 1 mile north of the airport, which confused him. He said that he "quickly" looked around and found "ADM downtown airport" 1 mile south of his position. ADM ATCT instructed him to report a 1-mile final for runway 35. He then turned and reported that he was on final after which he was cleared and acknowledged that he was cleared for the option for runway 35. He said that he was still "very confused that he was on the right runway" so he flew the approach at a higher than normal, which did not allow him to land the airplane about 1,000 feet down runway 35. He stated the he chose to go-around and the airplane was very low and the airspeed was too low. About 5 seconds after the application of full power for the go-around, the airspeed did not increase "very well" and it did not increase above 70 knots. He said that there were houses to the right and and trees ahead. The airplane impacted the trees while he was attempting to climb the airplane. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot attempted a landing on runway 35 (5,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at 1F0 but aborted the landing. The pilot did not retract the flaps, which were extended 30 degrees during the aborted landing and subsequent climb. The airplane impacted trees at the departure end of runway 35. Due to the airplane's low airspeed, the airplane slid down the trees on impact and then stuck power line(s). The inspector stated that the pilot was not fluent with english and it was difficult to understand his communications with air traffic control. The student pilot's log showed that he had flown to ADM on May 4, May 9, and May 18, 2012. The flights on May 4 and May 9 were with a flight instructor, and the flight on May 18was a solo flight.

Aircraft

Registration
N6102Q
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15285127
Airframe hours
13,405
Engine
Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
US Aviation Group LLC
Registered owner
US Aviation Group LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 16, 2012
Departed
DTO · Denton, TX
Destination
ADM · Ardmore, TX
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
1F0 · Ardmore Downtown Executive Air, runway 35, 5,000 × 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
Student pilot
Age
25
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
64 total · 64 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
60° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
30.07 inHg
Observed at
1F0, 1 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 11, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N6102Q · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.