- Date
- February 14, 1995, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Snow, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N757SGCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950214012459A
- Case key
- 38919
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's inadequate compensation for wind which resulted in the airplane drifting into a snow bank and nosing over.
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 stated, '...the (wind sock) still showed a crosswind but it was not constant. I taxied back to runway 19...I gave full throttle with no flaps and maintained full right aileron. My speed to the best of my recollection reached about 58 knots and then I became airborne. It was at this point that I went from heading straight to a abrupt move toward the left and I hit the (Snow bank) on the left.' Keene, new hampshire 14 miles east of Mount Snow, at 1250 eastern standard time reported the winds from 300 degrees at 12 knots gusting 17 knots. Federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector stated, 'the aircraft came to rest inverted, on the left side of the runway approximately 1,576 (feet) from the start of runway 19, tail in the Snow, nose towards the runway.' FAA inspector reported the flaps were found extended to 10 degrees.
Factual narrative
On Tuesday, February 14, 1995 about 1230 eastern standard time (est), a Cessna 152, N757SG, operated by Four Star Aviation and piloted by Robert E. Jenness, a student pilot, was substantially damaged during takeoff in Mount Snow, Vermont. The pilot received no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There was a VFR flight plan for the flight being conducted under CFR 14 Part 91.
The student pilot stated he departed Lawrence, Massachusetts destined for Albany, New York as the first portion of his long cross country flight. The flight was conducted at 4500 feet. He encountered some clouds and climbed above them to 6500 feet. While above the clouds the student got lost. He sighted an airport and landed there. The student pilot stated, "...The landing was good and I was careful applying brakes because the runway was icy." After landing, he learned he was at Mount Snow and decided to continue on to Albany.
The student pilot stated, "...The (wind sock) still showed a crosswind but it was not constant. I taxied back to runway 19...I gave full throttle with no flaps and maintained full right aileron. My speed to the best of my recollection reached about 58 knots and then I became airborne. It was at this point that I went from heading straight to a abrupt move toward the left and I hit the (snow bank) on the left." At 1250 est the winds at Keene, New Hampshire were reported from 300 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 17 knots. Keene is about 14 miles East from Mount Snow.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector stated, "The aircraft came to rest inverted, on the left side of the runway, approximately 1,576 (feet) from the start of runway 19, tail in the snow, nose towards the runway." FAA Inspector reported the flaps were found extended 10 degrees.
The student pilot had about 35 hours of flight time. This was his third solo cross country flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757SG
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15279963
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Richill Inc., doing business as Four Star Aviation
- Registered owner
- Richill Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 4V8
- Destination
- ALB · Albany, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 4V8 · Mount Snow, runway 19, 2,650 × 75 ft, snow
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 41 total · 35 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EEN, 14 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.