- Date
- January 18, 1989, 13:18 local (19:18 UTC)
- Place
- Zachary, LA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6757GCessna 150L
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890118000959A
- Case key
- 22759
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 pilot's loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation after encountering instrument meteorological weather conditions (IMC) shortly after takeoff, his intentional takeoff into adverse weather conditions, and the operator's inadequate supervision of controlling access to their airplanes by student pilots in known adverse weather conditions. Factors contributing to the accident were the weather conditions, the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing, and his lack of instrument flight time.
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
This was the student pilot's first solo x-country flt. No wx briefing was obtained nor was a flt plan filed. A large frontal system, which extended over several states, was approaching the airport. Radar contact was lost 12 minutes after departure. The airplane initially struck trees in a 50 deg nose low, right wing low attitude. A witness stated that the wx at the accident site was foggy, rainy, with 1 mile visibility. The student pilot was receiving flight instruction from the operator. His instructor did not indicate he was aware of the intended flight. The airplane was booked from the operator. Several people spoke to the pilot prior to his departure and noted nothing unusual about him.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6757G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15072257
- Airframe hours
- 4,259
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Topflight Inc.
- Registered owner
- Walter J. Vaughan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 3, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- BTR · Baton Rouge, LA
- Destination
- MCB · Mccomb, MS
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.