MIA97LA037

After returning from a cross-country flight, the student pilot made several attempts to land on runway 18. The wind was reported to be from 260 degrees at 20 knots. A witness reported that after the last approach, the airplane touched down off the left side of the runway and subsequently collided with a road sign. The pilot stated he had 28 hours total flight time with 2 hours of crosswind landing experience.

On December 8, 1996, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N714LF, registered to East Tennessee Pilot Club, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on landing roll out at Sky Ranch, Knoxville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Tullahoma, Tennessee, about 1 hour 30 minutes before the accident.

The student pilot stated he had just returned from a solo cross country flight. He looked at the wind sock and determined that he would be landing with a crosswind. He made three to four approaches which ended in a go-around each time. He entered right traffic for runway 18, completed his before landing check, lowered the flaps to 10 degrees, and determined that he would be landing with a 90-degree crosswind from the west. He could not remember if he applied any crosswind correction. The airplane drifted to the left, touched down on the edge of the runway, continued forward, and the left wing collided with a road side. A witness who observed the student pilot's landing confirmed his statement.

A witness stated he observed the pilot make a go-around on runway 18. The wind sock indicated a 90-degree crosswind. He went inside the hangar to get a radio in order to talk to the student pilot. He overheard the student pilot talking with another pilot. He went back outside and saw the student pilot making another approach to runway 18. He did not observe any crosswind correction, the airplane drifted to the left, touched off the left side of the runway, traveled about 800 feet before the left wing collided with a road sign.

This accident was not reported to the NTSB until December 12, 1996.