Cessna 152 N69015

Summary

On 4 January 1989 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N69015, operated by Mobile Flight Training, Inc, was involved in an accident near Theodore, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 January 1989 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Theodore, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

30.5396, -88.1709

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N69015

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mobile Flight Training, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dauphin Island → Mobile

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL89LA067

Nobody was injured.

PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL, AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A 'SNAP' NOISE WHILE MANEUVERING AT 500 FT AGL; THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DESCEND & HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD NO ELEVATOR CONTROL. WITNESSES REPORTED HOWEVER, THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING 'REAL LOW' & 'SLOW' AND THE WINGS WERE WOBBLING JUST BEFORE THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CRASHED. ONE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING AT NO MORE THAN 50 FT AGL WHEN IT BEGAN TO DROP. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY AN IA MECHANIC SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR CABLES WERE INTACT, AND THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-EXISTING MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE IN THE ELEVATOR CONTROL SYSTEM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.