- Date
- February 16, 2000, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Billings, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N757XGCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000216010479A
- Case key
- 48731
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Directional control was not maintained. Inadequate remedial action was a factor.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that he touched down and was adding power to take off again, when the airplane veered abruptly to the left. The pilot reduced power and the airplane traveled off the side of the runway into the snow. The pilot tried to maneuver the airplane to parallel the runway and eventually back onto the runway. However, the airplane slid to the left and tipped over onto the left wing and subsequently nosed over. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. The runway was dry, and the wind speed was three knots.
Factual narrative
On February 16, 2000, at 1620 mountain standard time, a Cessna 152, N757XG, registered to and operated by Lynch Flying Service as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, nosed over next to the runway at Billings, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
In a written statement, the student pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. The pilot stated that he touched down on runway 28L, then applied power to take off again when the airplane veered abruptly to the left. The pilot closed the throttle and the airplane traveled off the side of the runway into the snow. The pilot tried to maneuver the airplane to parallel the runway and eventually back onto the runway, when the airplane slid to the left and tipped over onto the left wing and subsequently nosed over.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
The Billings surface weather observation at 1556, reported the wind from 20 degrees at three knots. The runway condition was dry.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757XG
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280081
- Airframe hours
- 3,470
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lynch Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 29, 1999 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- BIL
- Airport
- BIL · Billings Logan Intl., runway 28, 3,800 × 75 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
- 19
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.