- Date
- November 6, 1989, 18:30 local (Nov 7, 1989, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Toledo, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6449MCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891106044339A
- Case key
- 34905
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 pilot became lost/disorientated and attempted a landing at the wrong airport. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, unfavorable wind condition, and the student pilot's lack of experience in the type of operation.
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
While on a solo, night cross country flight, the student pilot encountered unfavorable winds and mistakenly arrived at the wrong airport. She tried to activate the runway lights without success, then attempted to land on what she thought was the rwy. Subsequently, the acft struck power lines about one quarter mile to the east of the approach end of rwy 35, then collided with the terrain. The pilot had logged 1.3 hours of night dual instruction and this was her first solo night cross country flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6449M
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284733
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Guetzlaff,Robert W.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- AMW · Ames, IA
- Destination
- MIW · Marshaltown, IA
- Airport
- 8C5 · Toledo, runway 35, 1,873 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 26 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- DSM, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6449M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.