MIA02LA141

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Hialeah, FL · July 26, 2002

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterTakeoff - roll/run
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterTakeoff - aborted
Terrain condition - ditch
Nose overTakeoff - aborted

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.