NTSB Factual Report

On April 20, 2003, at 2044 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 152, N93564, owned and piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain near Red Owl, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The local flight originated from the pilot's private airstrip near Red Owl, South Dakota, at an unconfirmed time.

The student pilot reported that he has no memory of the accident flight. He stated that his daughters witnessed his airplane takeoff from his private airstrip, enter a turn and then suddenly descend to the ground.

According to an inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration, the witnesses described the tail of the airplane pointed up and the nose of the airplane pointed down prior to the impact with the terrain.

The student pilot's last 90-day solo endorsement was on September 20, 2002. The pilot reported his total flight time as 125.4 hours, of which 112.7 hours were in the Cessna 152.

No anomalies were found with the airframe or the engine that could be associated with any pre-impact condition.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot not maintaining aircraft control during initial climb-out, resulting in the encountered stall.