- Date
- February 23, 1995, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Grant, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7127XCessna 150A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950223002319A
- Case key
- 9842
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 decision to intentionally land downwind and his failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during landing roll. The pilot's lack of experience and the tailwind were contributing factors.
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 solo student pilot lost directional control during a downwind landing, veered off the runway, struck a runway edge light, then a snowbank and the aircraft nosed-over. The aircraft came to rest along the north edge of the runway approximately 1500 feet from the runway 9 threshold. The student pilot had six hours total flying time and his student pilot certificate had not been endorsed for solo flight. He was not under supervision of a flight instructor at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On February 23, 1995, about 1015 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150A, N7127X, was substantially damaged when the solo student pilot lost directional control during the landing roll. The airplane veered off the runway, struck a runway edge light, a snowbank, and nosed-over. The accident occurred at the Grant Airport, Grant, Michigan (runway 9-27, 2530' x 120', turf). The pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight departed Sparta, Michigan, about 0920. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The student pilot reported that he was performing an intentional downwind landing on runway 9 and that following a normal approach and touchdown the aircraft veered to the left. He reported applying "hard" right rudder and right brake but could not prevent the aircraft from impacting the runway edge light and snowbank. The Unicom operator at the airport told investigators that surface wind at the time of the accident was from 250 degrees at 5 knots with gusts to 12 knots. The aircraft came to rest inverted, along the north edge of the runway approximately 1500 feet from the runway 9 threshold.
The student pilot had six hours total flying time and his student pilot certificate had not been endorsed for solo flight. He was not under supervision of a flight instructor at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7127X
- Reported as
- Cessna 150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059227
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Harry Sutliffe
- Registered owner
- Lee Aviation Sales, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 8D4 · Sparta, MI
- Airport
- 01C · Grant, runway 9, 2,530 × 120 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 30 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.