- Date
- February 2, 2009, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ellensburg, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N95606Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090202000659A
- Case key
- 73312
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 directional control during the takeoff roll.Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's decision to initiate the takeoff with the airplane positioned near the left edge of the runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot, who was practicing touch-and-go landings in calm wind conditions, inadvertently landed near the left edge of the runway. During the landing roll, he did not correct back to the runway centerline. Soon after adding power for takeoff, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. By the time the pilot was able to bring the airplane to a stop, it had traveled about 900 feet over uneven terrain and the nose landing gear strut had collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. There was no evidence of any anomaly or malfunction in the airplane's nosewheel steering or rudder system.
Factual narrative
The student pilot, who was practicing touch-and-go landings in calm wind conditions, inadvertently landed near the left edge of the runway. During the landing roll, he did not correct back to the runway centerline prior to adding power for takeoff. Soon after adding power for takeoff, the airplane departed the left side of the runway. By the time the pilot was able to bring the airplane to a stop, it had traveled about 900 feet over uneven terrain. Prior to the time the airplane came to a stop, its nose landing gear strut collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. There was no evidence of any anomaly or malfunction in the airplane's nose wheel steering or rudder system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95606
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285936
- Airframe hours
- 11,932
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-N2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Midstate Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Midstate Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 15, 2009
- Departed
- KELN · Ellensburg, WA
- Destination
- KELN · Ellensburg, WA
- Airport
- KELN · Bowers Field, runway 29, 4,301 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 32 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 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
- 48 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.