Cessna 152 N6251B

Summary

On 25 March 2000 at about 18:27 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N6251B was involved in an accident near Roswell, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 2000 at 18:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Roswell, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

33.6399, -104.3804

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N6251B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00FA067

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention to over flying her residence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo instructional flight departed the airport northbound and climbed to 1,500 feet agl. Radar data indicates that the student pilot flew by her home, and the airplane slowed from approximately 95 knots to 47 knots ground speed (the headwind was estimated to be 6 to 8 knots). The airplane's stall speed was 48 knots. The airplane accelerated back to approximately 95 knots and turned southeast bound. As the pilot passed her home the second time, she again slowed the airplane to 47 knots ground speed (her estimated tail wind was 2 to 6 knots). Radar data indicates that the airplane then turned left and began to descend at approximately 4,500 fpm. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying eastbound, wings level, and descending to between 75 to 150 feet agl. One witness said he did not remember hearing any engine noise. Then he saw 'the left wing dip very rapidly, and the plane became almost vertical.' At the same time, he remembers hearing the airplane's engine 'really power up.' Toxicological reports indicate that the student pilot had four times the maximum recommended concentration of the drug sertraline (trade name Zoloft) in her. Zoloft is a prescription antidepressant, and is not approved by the FAA for pilots to take while on flight status.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.