- Date
- September 29, 1991, 15:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Blue Bell, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N48806Cessna C-152 II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910929043609A
- Case key
- 37024
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 failed to maintain directional control of the airplane, resulting in the airplane drifting to the left of the runway and impacting with a windsock pole. Contributing factors in the accident were the pilot's inadequate compensation for a crosswind and his total lack of flying experience.
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
During a landing on runway 24 the pilot said the airplane was drifting to the left. The pilot said there was a slight crosswind [winds 240 260 at 5 knots with gusts to 10 knots]. As the airplane drifted to the left the pilot attempted to correct to the right but was not successful. The pilot elected to make a go around and applied full power. As the airplane started the go around the pilot noted the windsock in his flight path and could not avoid striking the windsock pole with his left wing. The student pilot had a total flight time of 44 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48806
- Reported as
- Cessna C-152 II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283379
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles Kemner
- Registered owner
- Charles Kemner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- Winss Field, runway 24, 2,600 × 50 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 40 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.