FTW97LA333

The student pilot departed Lufkin, Texas on an instructional solo cross-country flight to Tyler, Texas. The student reported that 'heavy' haze and surrounding storms limited the visibility, and she became disorientated. She estimated that one hour and thirty minutes elapsed before she located an airport. After landing, she learned that she was at the Houston County Airport, Crockett, Texas, but no fuel service was available. Without checking the weather, the student planned a return course and heading to Lufkin. After the flight departed, she deviated from her planned course due to weather. The student reported that she did not calculate new headings or plot the deviation, and consequently, she became disorientated. The student reported that due to a low fuel situation, a precautionary landing was made. Also, she reported that while making a precautionary landing in a grass field, near Zavalla, Texas, the nose gear contacted 'abrupt terrain,' and the airplane came to rest inverted.

On August 31, 1997, at 1915 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N89268, registered to K and S Enterprises, and operated by Tyler International School of Aviation, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing to a grass field, near Zavalla, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional solo flight, and a flight plan was not filed for the cross country flight which originated from Lufkin, Texas (LFK), at 1620.

The student pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB 6210.1/2) that she had flown the first portion of the cross-country flight the previous day. The route of flight was from Tyler, Texas (TYR), to College Station, Texas (CLL), with a destination of Lufkin, Texas. The following afternoon, at 1530, the student called the Montgomery County Flight Service Station (FSS) to obtain a weather briefing, and then planned a route from Lufkin to Tyler. The pilot stated that "the briefer confused her," so she called her flight instructor for assistance. The instructor then called the FSS and obtained a weather briefing. The instructor reported to the student that there were thunderstorms northwest of the Lufkin airport and that she could deviate east around the weather. The instructor advised the student that if she felt confident with the flight, she should proceed.

The student reported that the flight departed from Lufkin and proceeded on course. The student deviated from the course, to the north of the city of Polk, due to weather and became disoriented. The student attempted to determine the position of the airplane utilizing VOR navigation, but was unsuccessful. Approximately one hour and thirty minutes had elapsed when the student visually located an airport. Although the student could not identify the airport, she landed the airplane and once on the ground identified the airport as Houston County Airport, Crockett, Texas (T56). No fuel service was available at this facility. Without checking weather the student planned a return course and headings to Lufkin. After taking off, the student again deviated due to weather. The student reported that she did not plot the deviation or refigure headings and consequently became disorientated. Subsequently, the student decided to land the airplane due to a low fuel situation. The pilot selected a field for landing and, after a low pass to determine the condition of the field, landed the airplane. During the landing roll, the nose gear contacted "abrupt terrain," and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted.

The student reported that "heavy" haze and the surrounding storms hampered her ability to visually locate landmarks.

The student pilot had accumulated a total of 58 hours, all in this make and model, of which 13 hours was logged as pilot-in-command. The student had accumulated a total of 45 hours dual instruction.

The pilot reported that the vertical stabilizer sustained structural damage, along with the propeller and spinner. Damage was also incurred by the landing gear.