Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the student pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind which resulted in a loss of directional control. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind, the misunderstood radio communication, and the rough terrain which the airplane encountered.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On December 16, 1997, at 1300 mountain standard time, a Cessna 150M, N3820V, operated by a student pilot collided with the terrain following a loss of directional control during takeoff on runway 30 (6,601' x 100') at the Sidney Municipal Airport, Sidney, Nebraska. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured.
The pilot reported that he called for a wind check prior to departure. He reported he was informed that the winds were "220 at seventeen", but at the time he mistook the velocity for "seven" instead of seventeen. The pilot stated, "When I rotated the left wing and the nose went straight up." He reported that he leveled the airplane and decided to abort the takeoff in order to use another runway. The pilot reported that upon touchdown the airplane began to skid from left to right off the runway. He reported the nose gear separated from the airplane, it tipped up and the right wing caught the terrain.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI98LA065