Cessna 150L N6757G

Summary

On 18 January 1989 at about 19:18 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N6757G, operated by Topflight Inc., was involved in an accident near Zachary, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 January 1989 at 19:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Zachary, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.6595, -91.1507

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N6757G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Topflight Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → McComb

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW89FA042

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS (IMC) SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HIS INTENTIONAL TAKEOFF INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE OPERATOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF CONTROLLING ACCESS TO THEIR AIRPLANES BY STUDENT PILOTS IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THIS WAS THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST SOLO X-COUNTRY FLT. NO WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED NOR WAS A FLT PLAN FILED. A LARGE FRONTAL SYSTEM, WHICH EXTENDED OVER SEVERAL STATES, WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST 12 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY STRUCK TREES IN A 50 DEG NOSE LOW, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE WX AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS FOGGY, RAINY, WITH 1 MILE VISIBILITY. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FROM THE OPERATOR. HIS INSTRUCTOR DID NOT INDICATE HE WAS AWARE OF THE INTENDED FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS BOOKED FROM THE OPERATOR. SEVERAL PEOPLE SPOKE TO THE PILOT PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE AND NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT HIM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.