Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ripley, Tennessee 38063
Saturday, December 8, 1990 11:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO-INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IN THE PRACTICE AREA. AFTER SEVERAL CIRCUITS AROUND HIS GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE (INSIDE THE PRACTICE AREA), HE SET UP FOR A POWER-OFF STALL. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, HE BEGAN THE STALL MANEUVER AT ABOUT 300 FEET AGL. A VIDEO TAPE ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT REVEALS THAT THE AIRPLANE STALLED, THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED, AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT-HAND SPIN. ABOUT ONE TURN OF THE SPIN WAS COMPLETED WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A STEEP, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ANALYSIS OF THE VIDEO REVEALED THAT THE ONLY FLIGHT CONTROL INPUT WAS FULL UP ELEVATOR, WHICH WAS APPLIED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE. THE STUDENT'S LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT TAUGHT HIM TO PERFORM ALL AIRWORK PRACTICE AT 3,000 FT MSL (ABOUT 2,500 FT AGL). THE STUDENT'S LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT STALLS HAD BEEN PRACTICED ON AT LEAST NINE PREVIOUS FLIGHTS (THREE SOLO FLIGHTS).

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PERFORMING A STALL MANEUVER AT AN ALTITUDE BELOW PRESCRIBED MINIMUMS, AND HIS FAILURE TO APPLY CORRECT FLIGHT CONTROL INPUTS TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL AND SPIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/8/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City RIPLEY
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 38063
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1048 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 30
Weather Observation Facility ID DYR
Elevation of weather observation facility 337
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2095
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 8 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43541
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:36PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N51160
NTSB Number ATL91FA025
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150J
Aircraft Series Identifier 150J
Aircraft Serial Number 150-69804
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 28 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 54
Airframe Hours 5916
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SHELBY AVIATION INC,
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT 3, BOX 315
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SHELBY AVIATION, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address RT. 3 BOX 315
Operator City COVINGTON
Operator State TN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 38019
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code M04
Departure City COVINGTON
Departure State TN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --