Cessna 152 N25799

Summary

On 1 September 1989 at about 03:30 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N25799 was involved in an accident near Tiptonville, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 1989 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Tiptonville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Reelfoot Lake (OM2)

Coordinates

36.3703, -89.4709

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N25799

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Dyersburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL89FA207

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER CLIMB RATE AFTER TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL CUES, HIS HABIT OF MAKING SHALLOW CLIMBS AFTER TAKEOFF, HIS LACK OF RECENT NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND THE TREES.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT MADE A NGT TAKEOFF FM AN ARPT ON LEVEL TERRAIN IN A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A GROUP OF TREES ABOUT 1/3 MI FROM THE DEP END OF THE RWY & SLIGHTLY LEFT OF THE RWY CENTERLINE. IT REMAINED AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 225 FT BEYOND THE TREES, THEN CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PLT HAD LAST LOGGED NIGHT FLT EXPERIENCE ABOUT 16 MONTHS EARLIER. HE HAD OBTAINED A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW FROM A CFI, 2 DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT. THE CFI RPRTD THAT THE PLT HAD DEMONSTRATED A TENDENCY TO MAKE SHALLOW CLIMBS AFTER TAKING OFF. THE CFI, WHO WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THE PLT, EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT THE PLT HAD DEVELOPED THE TENDENCY WHEN HE PREVIOUSLY OWNED AN ACFT WITH POOR CLIMB PERFORMANCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.