TIPTONVILLE, TN, USA
N25799
CESSNA 152
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.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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