Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hillsdale, Michigan 49242
Saturday, October 14, 1989 10:20 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE STUDENT PLT WAS ON HIS 1ST SUPERVISED SOLO FLT. BEFORE TAKEOFF, HIS INSTRUCTOR TOLD HIM TO MAKE 3 TAKEOFFS & FULL STOP LANDINGS. AFTER THE 2ND LANDING, HE DEPARTED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN & DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT HIM ON UNICOM. THE PLT'S SON-IN-LAW RPRTD HE TOOK PICTURES OF THE ACFT AS IT FLEW OVER HIS HOUSE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS SEEN FLYING LOW OVER A GOLF COURSE, BEFORE IT CRASHED. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP LEFT BANK BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED BELOW TREES, SECONDS BEFORE IMPACTING IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY NOT FOLLOWING HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DIRECTIONS ON HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT AND BY NOT MAINTAINING A SAFE ALTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. RELATED FACTORS WERE: UNAUTHORIZED LOW FLIGHT BY THE STUDENT AND HIS STEEP TURN (MANEUVER) AT LOW ALTITUDE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/14/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1020
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HILLSDALE
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49242
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 10
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1050 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 20
Weather Observation Facility ID JXN
Elevation of weather observation facility 1000
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 2040
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 14 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1115
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41273
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:08PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N757GB
NTSB Number CHI90LA011
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 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15279719
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
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 Aug 27 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 60
Airframe Hours 2596
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HILLSDALE AERO, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 238
Aircraft Owner City HILLSDALE
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49242
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 Y85
Departure City HILLSDALE
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 930
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code Y85
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --