- Date
- August 5, 2002, 19:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Danbury, CT
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N89044Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 17, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020805022009A
- Case key
- 55394
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in an inadvertent stall during a simulated forced landing. A factor was the rising terrain.
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 was in the traffic pattern practicing touch and go landings, when the flight instructor reduced the engine power to idle to simulate an engine failure. While the student pilot was maneuvering, the airplane "stalled to the left." The CFI assumed control of the airplane; however, the airplane struck trees about 1/2 mile from the runway. The CFI added that he did not hear the airplane's stall warning horn annunciate at any time during the accident sequence. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The airplane's stall warning system functioned normally during post accident testing. The terrain at the accident site sloped upward.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 2002, about 1945 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N89044, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees during a simulated forced landing in Danbury, Connecticut. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight that departed the Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR), Danbury, Connecticut. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
During an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the CFI stated that the airplane was in the traffic pattern for runway 26, at DXR, and the student pilot was practicing touch and go landings. When the airplane was at an altitude of about 1,200 feet, the CFI reduced the engine power to idle, to simulate an engine failure. While the student pilot was maneuvering, the airplane "stalled to the left." The CFI assumed control of the airplane; however, the airplane struck trees about 1/2 mile from the runway. The CFI added that he did not hear the airplane's stall warning horn annunciate at any time during the accident sequence.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The airplane's stall warning system functioned normally during post accident testing. Additionally, the inspector noted that the terrain at the accident site sloped upward.
Winds reported at the airport around the time of the accident were calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89044
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282608
- Airframe hours
- 7,261
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- North American Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 17, 2002 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Destination
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Airport
- DXR · Danbury Muni, runway 26, 4,422 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 20, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 572 total · 136 in this make and model · 479 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- DXR, 1 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.