- Date
- February 22, 2002, 12:54 local (20:54 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N38026Beech 77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020222002189A
- Case key
- 54244
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
A loss of directional control due to the pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition.
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
During rollout from a touch-and-go landing on runway 25L, the airplane veered left, exited the runway, and collided with a fence. According to the student pilot, his landing had been normal, but when he retracted the wing flaps he observed the airplane veering left of course. Despite his efforts, he was unable to regain directional control. The student pilot indicated that during the mishap he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane. The accident occurred during the student pilot's second solo flight in the airplane. Two minutes after the accident the local wind was reported at 200 degrees. Its speed was 6 knots.
Factual narrative
On February 22, 2002, at 1254 Pacific standard time, a Beech 77, N38026, collided with a fence after veering off runway 25L while landing at the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, California. The airplane was operated by Hart Aviation, Long Beach. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the solo instructional flight. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Long Beach about 1245.
The student's certified flight instructor (CFI) reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he had authorized his student to practice touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern. The accident occurred during the student's second solo flight in the airplane.
The student reported that, during the accident flight, he had performed a normal landing on runway 25L. The airplane touched down on the runway's centerline with the wing flaps fully extended. The student planned to perform a touch-and-go, so during rollout he retracted the flaps. As the flaps were retracting, he noticed that the airplane was veering left of course. The student indicated that he attempted to maintain directional control by applying right rudder pressure, but the airplane continued veering left of course. The airplane exited the side of the runway, rolled over a grassy area, and impacted a fence.
At 1256, the local wind at the airport was reported coming from 200 degrees. Its speed was 6 knots. In the pilot's completed "Aircraft Accident Report," he indicated that during the mishap he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38026
- Reported as
- Beech 77
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- WA-202
- Airframe hours
- 8,189
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hart Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Kriss A. Bennett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 6, 2001 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach, runway 25L, 5,420 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 49 total · 46 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- LGB
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 417 KB 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.