- Date
- May 29, 1997, 20:50 local (May 30, 1997, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N66980Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970529047619A
- Case key
- 10582
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 directional control of the airplane by overcompensating with the rudder. Factors associated with the accident were the excessive airspeed and the soft 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
The student pilot was on his first solo flight, and landed at 55 knots with full flaps. The flaps down stall speed for this model airplane is listed as 43 knots. After touchdown the airplane was left of the runway centerline so the pilot corrected and retracted the wing flaps. The airplane returned close to the centerline at which time the pilot put the carburetor heat selector to the off position and applied full throttle. The pilot then overcompensated with the right rudder input, which was followed by an overcompensation with left rudder. The airplane then went off the left side of the runway into soft terrain with standing water and flipped over on its back.
Factual narrative
On May 29, 1997, at 2050 central daylight time a Cessna 152, N66980, piloted by a student pilot on his first solo flight was substantially damaged when the airplane went off the left side of runway 26R (3,800'x75' asphalt) and flipped over at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, Missouri. The student pilot was uninjured in the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight.
The student pilot submitted a written reported to the investigator in charge (IIC) on NTSB Form 6120.1/2. The student pilot reported that he and his instructor went out away from the airport and practiced stalls and turns before returning to the airport. After returning to the airport the pilot reported that with his instructor in the airplane he executed two touch and go landings. After the second landing the student pilot reported that the instructor was dropped off on the taxiway, and he taxied out for his first solo flight. The pilot executed a takeoff and reported that because of another airplane cutting in front of him he needed to execute a 360 degree turn before landing. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down at 55 knots, and that full flaps were used for the landing. The flaps down stall speed for this model aircraft is listed at 43 knots.
The pilot reported that after the airplane touched down it was left of centerline so he corrected with right rudder and retracted the wing flaps. After returning close to the centerline of the runway the pilot reported that he selected the carburetor heat to the off position and applied full throttle. The pilot reported that he "overcompensated" with the right rudder input, which was followed by an overcompensation with left rudder. Following the overcompensation to the left the airplane went off the left side of the runway into soft terrain with standing water and flipped over on its back. No mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot of the airplane.
The airplane's wing tips were damaged. The right wing spar was buckled with a crack in the spar cap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66980
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281702
- Airframe hours
- 9,644
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- D&A Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 1997 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- SUS
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit Of St. Louis, runway 26R, 3,800 × 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 25 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.