Cessna 152 N49054

Summary

On 21 August 2012 at about 19:10 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N49054, operated by Cloud Dancer Aviation, was involved in an accident near Deland, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 August 2012 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Deland, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Deland Municipal (DED)

Coordinates

29.0697, -81.2806

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N49054

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Cloud Dancer Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deland → Deland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA521

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control on final approach in gusting wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate in an environment of thunderstorms and rapidly deteriorating weather.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that she checked the weather before departing on a maintenance flight in the airport traffic pattern; some thunderstorms were located to the northwest. She departed and climbed to 1,000 feet above ground level, set the engine at cruise power, and completed the traffic pattern. As she entered the pattern a second time, she noticed that the storms were moving toward the airport. As the airplane turned onto the final approach, the wind increased, the airplane encountered strong turbulence, and her approach became unstable. She then initiated a go-around; however, the airplane impacted the runway and came to rest inverted off of the left side. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Examination of the wreckage revealed structural damage to the airframe. Review of weather data revealed that a wind shift associated with nearby thunderstorms occurred immediately prior to the accident. The recorded wind speed about the time of the accident was 25 knots, gusting to 34 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.