- Date
- June 16, 2016, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Immokalee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4918HCessna 152
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160616008939A
- Case key
- 94068
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 directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
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 reported that while on a solo cross country flight, after he landed at his destination, the weather degraded. He reported that he called his flight instructor and the flight instructor told him to wait out the weather. About three hours later, his flight instructor called him to check on the weather conditions. The student pilot reported that he checked the local weather reporting station, "but everything [was] missing" (referring to the weather information). His flight instructor told him to "get back and check the weather and I'll call you back". The student pilot interpreted that as "[it's] ok to takeoff". During the takeoff roll the airplane veered off the runway to the left and impacted a ditch. The flight school President reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from a weather observation station located about 1.6 miles to the northeast, revealed that, about the time of the accident the wind was 360 degrees true at 3 knots. The airplane departed on runway 36.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on a solo cross country flight, after he landed at his destination, the weather degraded. He reported that he called his flight instructor and the flight instructor told him to wait out the weather. About three hours later, his flight instructor called him to check on the weather conditions. The student pilot reported that he checked the local weather reporting station, "but everything [was] missing" (referring to the weather information). His flight instructor told him to "get back and check the weather and I'll call you back". The student pilot interpreted that as "[it's] ok to takeoff". During the takeoff roll the airplane veered off the runway to the left and impacted a ditch. The flight school President reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from a weather observation station located about 1.6 miles to the northeast, revealed that, about the time of the accident the wind was 360 degrees true at 3 knots. The airplane departed on runway 36.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4918H
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284020
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dean International Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pinheiro Duque Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 22, 2016
- Departed
- IMM · Immokalee, FL
- Destination
- TMB · Miami, FL
- Airport
- IMM · Immokalee Rgnl, runway 36, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 57 in this make and model · 57 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KRSW, 20 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4918H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.