- Date
- June 23, 2019, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clewiston, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5096LCessna 152
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190623007899A
- Case key
- 99843
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 maneuver to the left to avoid striking birds during takeoff and his subsequent loss of directional control after aborting the takeoff and landing on soft, muddy grass adjacent to the runway during, which resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 3
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, during takeoff, a flock of birds crossed the runway from the right. He tried to climb and turn the airplane to the left to avoid striking the birds, but some of the birds continued in front of the airplane. The airplane drifted beyond the left side of the runway about 10 to 15 ft above ground level. He aborted the takeoff, landed on the soft grass adjacent to the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The student added that, "the grass was so muddy that [it was] very hard to control the plane," and "too much friction made my airplane flip over." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, during takeoff, a flock of birds crossed the runway from the right. He tried to climb and turn the airplane to the left to avoid striking the birds, but some of the birds continued in front of the airplane. The airplane drifted beyond the left side of the runway 10 to 15 feet above the grass. He aborted the takeoff, landed on the soft grass adjacent to the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The student pilot further reported that, "the grass was so muddy that [it was] very hard to control the plane," and "too much friction made my airplane flip over." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5096L
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284262
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 11,651.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-N2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- American Flight Training, doing business as Wayman Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- My Way Aviation Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 10, 2019
- Departed
- IMM · Immokalee, FL
- Destination
- 2IS · Clewiston, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 2IS · Airglades, runway 13, 5,901 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 59.7 total · 59.7 in this make and model · 6.5 as pilot in command · 29.1 in the last 90 days · 9.8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KOBE, 34 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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.