- Date
- July 4, 1995, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N757VKCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 3, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950704016159A
- Case key
- 19475
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 wind conditions during the landing, which resulted in her failure to maintain proper runway alignment. The gusty crosswind was a related factor.
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 reported that she was executing a normal crosswind landing on runway 23, when a 'gust' of wind caused the airplane to 'balloon' and veer to the left. The airplane ran off the left side of the runway and collided with an airport sign/marker. According to the pilot, ATIS information reported the winds to be from 290 degrees at 20 gusting 30 knots. After the accident at 1347, the wind was from 310 degrees at 15 gusting 25 knots. The pilot's total flight time at the time of the accident was 58.8 hours.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 1995, approximately 1330 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N757VK, was substantially damaged during landing at Four Corners Regional Airport, Farmington, New Mexico. The solo student pilot was not injured. The airplane, owned by the pilot's flight instructor pilot, Shanna M. Clark, was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The instructional cross country flight originated at Gallup, New Mexico, and was returning to Farmington. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The student pilot reported that, she was executing a "normal cross wind landing" to runway 23, when a "gust" of wind caused the airplane to "balloon" and veer left during the landing roll. Subsequently, she lost directional control and the aircraft came to rest on the left side of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the fuselage.
According to the pilot, the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) reported the winds to be from 290 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 30. The pilot's total flight time at the time of the accident was 58.8 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757VK
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280036
- Airframe hours
- 5,151
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Shanna M. Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 5, 1995 · 99 hours before
- Departed
- GUP · Gallup, NM
- Destination
- FMN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FMN · Four Corners Regional, runway 23, 6,500 × 150 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 59 in this make and model · 22 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.