- Date
- May 17, 1990, 17:53 local (May 18, 1990, 00:53 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N783GCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900517016519A
- Case key
- 26628
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed use of flaps.
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 airplane was observed to abruptly pitch nose down on final approach. The solo student pilot at the controls had logged about 28 hours total flight experience. According to the student pilot's flight instructor, two hours of dual instruction were devoted to flight at minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane flaps were determined to be in transit at the time of impact. The flap jackscrew mechanism indicated the flaps to be at an intermediate position of 7 degrees while the flap handle indicated 10 degrees. The flaps should be set for landing by the time the airplane had reached its position on final approach. The student pilot was in radio contact with the control tower. There were no reports by the student pilot of any problems with the airplane. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions found with the airplane during the wreckage examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N783G
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 80085
- Airframe hours
- 5,750
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Cal Aero Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Louis R. Pheil
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 11, 1989 · 272 hours before
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery, runway 28R, 3,400 × 150 ft, macadam
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 28 total · 28 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYF, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.