- Date
- December 18, 1994, 09:36 local (14:36 UTC)
- Place
- Opa-Locka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N89515Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941218041749A
- Case key
- 37711
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 student pilots failure to follow the checklist and assure the door was closed prior to takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the student's diverted attention during the takeoff roll.
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 student pilot initiated his first solo takeoff roll and noted the right door was ajar. He continued the takeoff roll and attempted to close the door. He lost control of the airplane on the ground and it veered off the runway and came to rest in a canal.
Factual narrative
On December 18, 1994, about 0936 eastern standard time, N89515, a Cessna 152, operated by Wayman Aviation Inc. crashed on takeoff attempt at Opa-Locka Airport, Opa-Locka, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The student pilot was cleared for three touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the first takeoff during takeoff roll the student noted the door was open, and he attempted to close it while still continuing the takeoff. The airplane veered left off the runway and crashed into a canal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89515
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 82766
- Airframe hours
- 5,440
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wayman Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 1994 · 30 hours before
- Airport
- OPF · Opa-Locka, runway 9L, 8,002 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OPF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.