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Atlas / NTSB / MIA02LA163

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA02LA163

2002-09-01 Sanford, Florida, United States Airport · SFB None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N68414

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 152

Year of manufacture

1978 · 24 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19780822

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A914AB

Registrant of record

WRIGHT DUANE C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the takeoff roll/run which resulted in the airplane departing the runway and into a ditch where it nosed over incurring substantial damage.

Factual narrative

On September 1, 2002, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N68414, registered to and operated by Comair Aviation Academy as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, veered off the runway during takeoff at Orlando Sanford Airport, Sanford, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The student-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the student, it was his first solo flight, and he had made an uneventful approach and landing. He said he was reconfiguring the airplane for takeoff following the touch-and-go landing, and as he applied takeoff power the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline, into the grass and subsequently into a shallow ditch where the ground had been wet after much rain. The nosewheel dug into the soft ground and the airplane flipped over onto its back, incurring damage to the wings and fuselage. Prior to the accident, there had been no mechanical failures or malfunction to the aircraft or any of its systems. The student said it was his first solo flight, and he had made an uneventful approach and landing. As he was reconfiguring the airplane for takeoff following the touch-and-go landing, and as he applied takeoff power, the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline, into the grass and subsequently into a shallow ditch where it flipped over incurring damage. Prior to the accident, there had been no mechanical failures or malfunction to the aircraft or any of its systems. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2002_MIA02LA163.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.