- Date
- March 29, 2009, 09:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Brunswick, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1505QCessna 150L
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090329005059A
- Case key
- 73581
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 aircraft control while landing in gusting crosswinds.
Findings · 1
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.
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 stated that he was conducting a solo flight to practice landings and remained in the traffic pattern for Runway 22. Prior to his initial takeoff, he obtained a weather report that specified a wind speed of 8 knots. After two touch-and-gos, he obtained another weather advisory, which reported the wind from 270 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 25 knots. He set up for his third landing, making his approach at 85 knots to account for the gust factor. After touching down at approximately 55 knots, a gust of wind lifted the airplane 10 to 15 feet in the air. The airplane then stalled and the recovery was not successful from that low of an altitude. The airplane contacted the runway in a nose-low attitude, damaging the firewall and propeller, and collapsing the nose landing gear. The student pilot's logbook was endorsed for solo flight with the limitation that flights be conducted in crosswind conditions not to exceed 10 knots.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that he was conducting a solo flight to practice landings and remained in the traffic pattern for runway 22. Prior to his initial takeoff, he obtained a weather report that specified a wind speed of 8 knots. After two touch-and-gos, he obtained another weather advisory, which reported the wind from 270 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 25 knots. He set up for his third landing, making his approach at 85 knots to account for the gust factor. After touching down at approximately 55 knots, a gust of wind lifted the airplane 10 to 15 feet in the air. The airplane then stalled and the recovery was not successful from that low of an altitude. The airplane contacted the runway in a nose low attitude; damaging the firewall, collapsing the nose landing gear, and the propeller struck the runway. The student pilot's logbook was endorsed for solo flight with the limitation that flights be conducted in crosswind conditions not to exceed 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1505Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072805
- Airframe hours
- 1,355
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- N4172P Inc.
- Registered owner
- N4172P Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2008
- Departed
- SSI · Brunswick, GA
- Destination
- SSI · Brunswick, GA
- Airport
- SSI · Malcolm McKinnon Airport, runway 22, 5,800 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 22 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- SSI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.