- Date
- January 21, 1999, 16:38 local (23:38 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N96640Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990121000649A
- Case key
- 45679
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 CFI's loss of airplane control upon encountering a dust devil due to his improper in-flight decision to land in proximity to the observed adverse weather conditions.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that he decided to complete the instructional lesson with his 25-hour student pilot after flying in the local area and performing three touch-and-go landings. The CFI indicated that he observed a dust devil near the airport while on base leg, but its proximity to the airplane's planned course did not look close enough to result in his aborting the approach and landing. The CFI stated he believed that if he hurried up he could land before the dust devil became a factor. After landing without mishap, the crew turned off the runway and the dust devil contacted the airplane. Control was lost control and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 1999, at 1638 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 152, N96640, operated by Westwind Aviation Academy, nosed over while taxiing from landing on runway 25R at the Deer Valley Municipal Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the instructional flight, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the commercial pilot, who was performing as a certified flight instructor, nor the student pilot was injured. The flight originated from the Deer Valley Municipal Airport about 1430.
The flight instructor (CFI) reported that he decided to complete the instructional lesson after flying in the local area and performing three touch-and-go landings at the airport. The CFI indicated to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he observed a dust devil near the airport while on base leg, but its proximity to the airplane's planned course did not look close enough to result in his aborting the approach and landing. The CFI stated that he thought he could hurry up and land to get out of its way.
The student pilot reported that they landed without mishap and turned off the runway. Then, the dust devil suddenly contacted the airplane and control was lost. During the mishap, both crewmembers were handling the flight controls.
An on-duty Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller observed the accident and reported that he had observed the dust devil moving in a southeasterly direction at a high rate of speed. The dust devil crossed directly over the airplane causing the tail to become airborne and completely flipping the airplane over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96640
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15286016
- Airframe hours
- 7,612
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- Griffin Investment Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 15, 1998
- Departed
- DVT
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix-Deer Valley Muni, runway 25R, 4,500 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 506 total · 330 in this make and model · 403 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 77 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.