N5288P

On December 3, 2000, at 1030 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N5288P, collided with the ground during a short field takeoff from Hardwick Field Airport in Cleveland, Tennessee. The certified flight instructor (CFI) received serious injuries and the dual student received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating from Cleveland, Tennessee, at the time of the accident.

The CFI reported that he and the student pilot had been conducting short-field takeoffs and, full-stop landing followed by a taxi back to runway 21. The CFI stated that during the third takeoff, they experienced a total loss of engine power as they climbed through 100 feet. At this point the CFI took control of the airplane from the dual student and initiated a forced landing. The airplane struck trees, nosed over, and collided with a storage shed as the CFI maneuvered the airplane for the forced landing. The CFI stated that he elected the left maneuvering turn to avoid terrain and other obstructions that were not suitable for a forced landing.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane rested about 250 feet left of the runway edge. Examination of the airplane and the engine assembly failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction of component failure. A review of weather data showed that conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.