- Date
- July 26, 2002, 08:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hialeah, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4893HCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20020726015959A
- Case key
- 55335
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 directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll resulting in the on-ground collision with a ditch and subsequent nose over of the airplane.
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 flight initially departed the North Perry Airport, Hollywood, Florida, with a student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) on board, then proceeded to the Opa-Locka West Airport where the student performed touch-and-go landings. The CFI then deplaned and the student pilot departed on a solo flight remaining in the traffic pattern. The student pilot later reported that after touchdown he let the airplane roll before adding power. He then "slowly" added power and as the power increased, the airplane began drifting to the left. He applied right rudder input but the airplane continued drifting to the left. He reduced the power after recognizing that the airplane was departing the side of the runway where the airplane traveled into a ditch and nosed over. The pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI) who witnessed the accident reported seeing the pilot land the airplane on the runway centerline and he "greased it on." She then noted that the airplane drifted to the left onto grass and into a ditch where the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
Factual narrative
On July 26, 2002, about 0810 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N4893H, registered to Broward Aviation, Inc., operated by Black Pilots of America Summer Flight Academy, experienced a loss of directional control on landing, collided with a ditch, and then nosed over, at the Opa-Locka West Airport, Hialeah, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight last departed the Opa-Locka West Airport about 5 minutes earlier.
The flight initially departed the North Perry Airport, Hollywood, Florida, with a student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) on board, then proceeded to the Opa-Locka West Airport where the student performed touch-and-go landings. The CFI then deplaned and the student pilot departed on a solo flight remaining in the traffic pattern. The student pilot later reported that after touchdown he let the airplane roll before adding power. He then "slowly" added power and as the power increased, the airplane began drifting to the left. He applied right rudder input but the airplane continued drifting to the left. He reduced the power after recognizing that the airplane was departing the side of the runway where the airplane traveled into a ditch and nosed over.
The pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI) who witnessed the accident reported seeing the pilot land the airplane on the runway centerline and he "greased it on." She then noted that the airplane drifted to the left onto grass and into a ditch where the airplane nosed over.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4893H
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284004
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Black Pilots of America Summer Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Broward Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2002 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- X46 · Hialeah, FL
- Destination
- X46
- Airport
- X46 · Opa-Locka West, runway 09, 3,000 × 60 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
- 16
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KOPF, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 907 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.