CHI99LA051

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Evansville, IN · December 10, 1998

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 10, 1998, 11:55 local (17:55 UTC)
Place
Evansville, IN
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Taxi
Aircraft
N25493Cessna 152
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 15, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19981210033279A
Case key
45437

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 inability to gain clearance between the airplane and the hanger. Factors contributing to this accident were the wet, grass landing surface, the student pilot's attempted turn to avoid the embankment drop off at the end of the runway, the embankment and the hangar.

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.

On ground/water collision with objectTaxi - from landing
Clearance - not attainedPilot in commandCause
Evasive maneuver - attemptedPilot in commandFactor
Object - hangar/airport buildingFactor
Airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - wetFactor
Airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - grassFactor
Airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - drop-off/descending embankmentFactor

Analysis

The student pilot said that he flew a normal traffic pattern to runway 18 at the Evansville Skylane Airport, Evansville, Indiana. The landing appeared normal. The student pilot said that he lightly pumped the brakes once and noticed that the plane did not react. The student pilot pumped the brakes a second time and noticed that he was sliding. Aware of a steep embankment which dropped off at the end of runway 18, the student pilot elected to steer the airplane to the right. The airplane continued to slide in the turn. The airplane's right wing struck the end of a hangar and then spun around, coming to a stop with the left wing striking the hanger door. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

Factual narrative

On December 10, 1998, at 1155 central standard time (cst), a Cessna 152, N25493, operated by a student pilot sustained substantial damage when during a wide, high-speed taxi turn, off of the runway, following landing, the airplane struck the side of a hangar. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The student pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated at Evansville, Indiana, at 1040 cst.

In his written statement, the student pilot said that he flew a normal traffic pattern to runway 18 at Evansville Skylane Airport. The landing appeared normal. The student pilot said that he lightly pumped the brakes once and noticed that the plane did not react. The student pilot pumped the brakes a second time and noticed that he was sliding. Aware of a steep embankment which dropped off at the end of runway 18, the student pilot elected to steer the airplane to the right. The airplane continued to slide in the turn. The airplane's right wing struck the end of the hangar and then spun around, coming to a stop with the left wing striking the hanger door.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at Evansville Skylane Airport. The airplane's right wing was bent aft and downward. The outboard four feet of the right wing's leading edge to the wing tip was crushed inward and bent aft. The inboard third of the right flap was buckled and had penetrated the airplane's right aft cabin window. The upper skin of the right wing at the wing root was torn open and bent upward. The bottom skin showed heavy wrinkling. The outboard 9 inches of the leading edge of the airplane's left wing was crushed aft and bent downward. The forward upper half of the left wing tip was broken along the longitudinal rivet line. Both propeller blades were bent slightly aft at the tips and showed chordwise scratches in the forward leading edge surfaces. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the engine, engine controls and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.

Aircraft

Registration
N25493
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15280692
Airframe hours
8,557
Engine
Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Premier Flying & Training, LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Last inspection
Annual · April 19, 1998 · 86 hours before
Departed
EVV
Airport
3EV · Evansville Skylane, runway 18, 2,100 × 130 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
44
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
36 total · 36 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
45 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
EVV, 5 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.