Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB WPR16FA002
CESSNA 152 — Cedar City, UT
| Date | October 5, 2015 |
| Location | Cedar City, UT |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 152 |
| Purpose of flight | Business |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 24 |
| Pilot total time | 1,290 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Flight crew - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weight/balance calculations-Flight crew
What happened
A company chief pilot was performing a company check flight of a newly hired flight instructor. Data recovered from an on-board flight tracking system indicated that the airplane was maneuvering about 3,000 ft above ground level in the accident area; the final 35 seconds of data showed a near vertical descent toward the accident location. A witness saw the airplane descending vertically in a slight nose-down attitude "like a fluttering leaf." The airplane impacted the ground in a slightly nose-down and wings-level attitude, and ground impact marks around the airplane did not indicate any forward momentum. Examination of the airframe and engine found no abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. The flight tracking data, the witness description, and the damage to the airplane are consistent with the airplane entering an aerodynamic stall and descending to ground impact. It could not be determined whether the stall was inadvertent or intentional (stall demonstration). Weight and balance calculations indicated that the airplane was about 40 pounds over maximum gross weight at takeoff and about 10 pounds over gross weight at the time of the accident; however, it is unlikely that this weight exceedance contributed to the loss of control.