History of Flight
On July 5, 2008, at 1422 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, registration N5372B, operated by Air Venture Flight Center, was destroyed following a collision with terrain after departing cruise flight near Rossville, Tennessee. The pilot, who held an airline transport pilot certificate, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which originated at Olive Branch Airport (OLV) in Olive Branch, Mississippi, at 1339. No flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
No witnesses to the crash were identified during a neighborhood canvas. Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the last minute of flight revealed a target identified as the accident airplane in cruise flight at about 2,400 feet, on an approximate heading of 020 degrees magnetic. The final three radar returns showed the airplane in a descending left turn: at 1422:19 at 2,400 feet, at 1422:28 at 2,200 feet, and at 1422:33 at 1,700 feet. An air traffic controller reported hearing a "mayday" call but could not associate it with any specific airplane. After querying N5372B without reply, a review of voice recordings showed the pilot transmitted the airplane's registration number followed by "mayday" three times before communication ceased.
Personnel Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multiengine land. He held type ratings for the Boeing 727, Mitsubishi Diamond Jet, and Beech 400. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on November 9, 2007. Prior to renting the airplane, the pilot reported 4,850 total hours of flight experience on an Air Venture Flight Center membership application, with 85 hours in single-engine airplanes. He completed both a written and practical examination before the accident flight, performing normal takeoff, slow flight, steep turns, stalls, and five practice landings to the satisfaction of the supervising owner/operator.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1979 and had accumulated 9,746 total aircraft hours. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on January 3, 2008, at 9,658 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1350, weather at Olive Branch Airport, located about 12 miles southwest of the accident site, included scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, wind from 180 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 28°C, and dew point 23°C.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright in a flat, grassy meadow. The wreckage path was oriented along 230 degrees magnetic and was approximately 250 feet long. Initial ground scars were three concave parallel impressions equidistant from each other and perpendicular to the path; the left and right scars were 7.5 feet apart, consistent with main landing gear dimensions. Beyond that was an elliptical crater about 5 feet by 4 feet containing the propeller, which showed twisting, bending, and chordwise scratching. The spinner was flattened against the hub with rotational deformation. A linear ground scar 33.5 feet long bisected the crater. The pitot tube was embedded 5 feet left of center. Both wing tips were found at respective scar ends. A 9-foot section of the main wing leading edge was 13 feet forward of the scar.
The engine oil cooler and nose landing gear strut were 17 feet from initial impact. The engine was 46 feet from impact. The propeller and all accessories were separated from the engine case; the propeller flange was bent aft. The cabin floor, seats, cockpit controls, instrument panel, empennage, and tail section were completely destroyed and located 63 feet from impact. The tachometer needle was pressed against the bezel at 3,100 rpm, 550 rpm above the manufacturer's maximum. The main cabin roof with both wings attached was 130 feet down the path. Control cable continuity was established from ailerons to wing roots, with breaks consistent with overload; continuity resumed to the control quadrant. Rudder and elevator cables were intact. Flaps appeared retracted.
Small fragments including a magneto, vacuum pump, and wheel fragments were found up to 250 feet from initial impact. Engine examination on July 7, 2008, revealed crankshaft continuity, compression on all cylinders, and magnetos producing spark. The vacuum pump rotor was fragmented but vanes intact. A vacuum-driven gyroscopic instrument showed rotational scoring.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination on July 6, 2008, by the Shelby County Medical Examiner reported the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries." Toxicological testing was performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Research Laboratory.
Additional Information
On July 4, 2008, federal investigators interviewed the pilot after he completed a commercial cargo flight from Winnipeg, Canada. The pilot then drove to a residence in Germantown, Tennessee, where he rented a room. After midnight, he inquired about renting a small airplane and was directed to Olive Branch Airport. Between 1000 and 1200 on July 5, he was checked out in the accident airplane, completing written and practical exams. The landlord at the Germantown residence, concerned about the pilot's emotional status due to the investigator interview, went to the airport and met the pilot, who had completed checkout but could not fly due to weather. They returned to Germantown to discuss the interview; the landlord expressed concern and invited the pilot to lunch, but he declined. After roommates left for lunch, the pilot returned to Olive Branch Airport around 1300 and rented the accident airplane, which later crashed in Rossville, Tennessee.