On August 25, 1996, a Cessna 152 (registration N45949) operated by John F. Palmer was involved in an aviation accident near Rome, NY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in a stall and subsequent ground contact, attributed to his decision to use an insufficiently long runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Aircraft stalled shortly after rotation during takeoff, causing the left wing to strike the ground. The pilot attributed the incident to insufficient runway length for the conditions.
What happened
During the initial phase of flight, the aircraft was rotated for takeoff when the stall warning horn activated unexpectedly. At this moment, the pilot observed trees located at the departure end of the runway. In an effort to clear the obstacle, the pilot attempted to raise the nose further to gain altitude. However, the airplane entered a stall condition, resulting in the left wing contacting the ground.
The investigation
Following the incident, the pilot provided details regarding the aircraft's mechanical status. He reported that there were no known malfunctions with the airplane prior to or during the event. The pilot acknowledged that he should have utilized a longer runway for the departure.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in a stall and subsequent ground contact, attributed to his decision to use an insufficiently long runway.