Event ANC00LA036

Factual narrative

On March 19, 2000, about 1922 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 152 airplane, N96082, sustained substantial damage while landing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska. The certificated private pilot received serious injuries, and the one passenger aboard received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to the United States Air Force, and operated by the Elmendorf flying club. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator on March 20, the pilot reported she had received her private pilot certificate about six days prior to the accident, and the purpose of the accident flight was to give a friend a ride. She said that after being cleared to land on runway 23, and just prior to touchdown, a strong left crosswind pushed the airplane to the right. She said she was unable to realign the airplane with the centerline of the runway, and she attempted to abort the landing and go-around. The last thing she could remember was hearing the stall warning horn. The (non-pilot) passenger in the airplane submitted the following written statement: "Nothing was unusual about our flight until we started to land. When we descended to about 100 feet a gust of wind blew and pushed us towards the ground. Sally gave the plane full throttle and pulled back on the yoke. When she did this, the stall warning sounded. Sally reduced her angle of attack and the warning quit sounding. Because of the plane being at full throttle, it yawed to the left. The stall warning sounded again and we then entered a spin. We crashed 180 degrees off of our original heading." The airplane came to rest about 185 feet north of the north edge of runway 23, approximately 5,200 feet down the 10,000 feet long, by 200 feet wide, runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. A review of the transcripts and an audio tape of the communications between the accident pilot and the Elmendorf Air Traffic Controller, as well as additional radio communications between the controller and other aircraft operating at Elmendorf, disclosed that the most recent takeoff or landing was a military C-130 (large category aircraft) which departed opposite direction on runway 05/23 at 1914. Federal air traffic control standards require a minimum separation of 3 minutes between large and small category aircraft for wake turbulence avoidance. The accident occurred about 1922, or approximately 8 minutes after the large airplane's departure. The closest official weather observation station is Elmendorf Air Force Base. On March 19, 2000, at 1928, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Wind, 290 degrees true (266 magnetic) at 8 knots; visibility, 15 statute miles; clouds, 5,000 feet few, 7,000 feet scattered; temperature, 37 degrees F; dew point, 26 degrees F; altimeter, 29.29 inHg. Elmendorf tower wind, reported to the accident pilot at 1422, was 270 degrees (magnetic), at 3 knots. A review of recorded wind direction and velocity data from the Elmendorf air traffic control tower, disclosed no recorded wind gusts at the time of the accident, or within the preceding 10 minutes. Postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies. The newly certificated private pilot was attempting to land on runway 23, which is 10,000 feet long, by 200 feet wide. During the landing approach, she said a gust of wind moved the airplane to the right, away from the runway. She said she was unable to realign the airplane with the runway, and initiated a go-around. She said the last thing she remembers is hearing the stall warning horn. During the go-around, the passenger reported the stall warning sounded, and the airplane yawed to the left. He said the airplane then entered a stall, and collided with the ground. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Air traffic control tower wind information, given to the pilot within a minute of the accident, indicated the wind was from 270 degrees (magnetic) at 3 knots, with no gusts. Control tower recorded wind data from the time of accident through the preceding 10 minutes, revealed no evidence of wind gusts. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12