| Crash location | 34.478334°N, 85.724445°W |
| Nearest city | Fort Payne, AL
34.444255°N, 85.719689°W 2.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N5527M |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 15 Jun 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 152 |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 15, 2005, at 2320 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N5527M, registered to Valley Aviation Inc. collided with the ground during an attempted landing at the Fort Payne Isbell Field Airport, in Fort Payne, Alabama. The 14 year old non-certificated pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Fort Payne Isbell Field, Fort Payne, Alabama at 2300.
According to the police, the 14 year old boy had never flown an airplane before but told the police that he wanted to go flying. He went to the airport and found an airplane with the keys in it. He flew for a few minutes and landed, then took off again. On the second flight, he flew a few minutes longer and attempted to land again. This time he landed hard and the airplane veered to the left. He stated that he added power in an attempt to go-around and the airplane crashed on a road in a nose down attitude and slid about 40-feet.
Examination of the airplane found the propeller separated, and the airplane resting about four feet from a telephone pole in a nose down attitude, with the nose gear folded back under the engine. Further examination found the left main wheel assembly torn from its axel, and the empennage rivets on the right side sheared off with only the left side remaining attached. Both wings sustained leading edge damage with wrinkling observed in the wing skin.
The 14-year old boy was arrested and charged with the theft of an airplane.
The intentional unauthorized use of a stolen aircraft by an unqualified person which resulted in a hard landing and substantial damage to the airplane.