- Date
- December 16, 1997, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sidney, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3820VCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971216039079A
- Case key
- 10808
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind which resulted in a loss of directional control. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind, the misunderstood radio communication, and the rough terrain which the airplane encountered.
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 called for a wind check and misunderstood the velocity for 7 knots when it was actually 17 knots. He reported that on takeoff rotation the nose and left wing went 'straight up.' He decided to abort the landing and to use another runway. Once on the ground the airplane veered off the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the right wing contacted the terrain.
Factual narrative
On December 16, 1997, at 1300 mountain standard time, a Cessna 150M, N3820V, operated by a student pilot collided with the terrain following a loss of directional control during takeoff on runway 30 (6,601' x 100') at the Sidney Municipal Airport, Sidney, Nebraska. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured.
The pilot reported that he called for a wind check prior to departure. He reported he was informed that the winds were "220 at seventeen", but at the time he mistook the velocity for "seven" instead of seventeen. The pilot stated, "When I rotated the left wing and the nose went straight up." He reported that he leveled the airplane and decided to abort the takeoff in order to use another runway. The pilot reported that upon touchdown the airplane began to skid from left to right off the runway. He reported the nose gear separated from the airplane, it tipped up and the right wing caught the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3820V
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15076633
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Douglas K. Swim
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1997 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- SNY
- Destination
- STK · Sterling, CO
- Airport
- SNY · Sidney Municipal, runway 30, 6,601 × 100 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 32 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.