Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On April 30, 1998, at 0745 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 152, N25525, nosed over after departing the side of the runway during takeoff roll at Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport, Fort Collins, Colorado. The student pilot and sole occupant was not injured and the aircraft received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this student solo instructional flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was departing when the accident occurred.

According to information provided by the pilot and verified by her instructor, this was the initial takeoff roll on her first solo flight. In her written statement, the student pilot said she was lined up on the runway for her takeoff with the nose pointed slightly left. When she added power for takeoff, the aircraft started toward the left side of the runway and she applied left rudder to correct her heading instead of right rudder. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway onto soft terrain and nosed over. The student said she "froze up." Her recorded flight time was 20.1 hours total time, all of which was accumulated in the Cessna 152 aircraft.

The takeoff was being conducted on runway 33 which is 8,500 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. The weather was clear skies and the wind recorded by AWOS (automatic weather observation system), was from 300 degrees magnetic at 5 knots. the student pilot's improper use of the rudder controls, which resulted in loss of directional control, a ground swerve, an encounter with soft terrain, and a nose over. The soft terrain was a related factor.