What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 28, 1998, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N25858, was substantially damaged during a practice landing at the Pottstown Limerick Airport (ptw), Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was equipped with a "Texas taildragger" conversion. According to the student pilot's statement, he made three uneventful takeoffs and landings. On the fourth landing, the airplane touched down on the main landing gear, then bounced, then touched down again on all three wheels. It drifted to the left side of the runway, so the student pilot applied right rudder. When he felt the rudder was ineffective, he applied right brake. The left main landing gear broke, and the airplane spun to its left. The student pilot did not recall if he removed the power that was applied after the first bounce, nor did he recall inputs made with the yoke. The student pilot's instructor was watching from the ground and observed the student pilot make a three-point landing. He stated: "within seconds after touchdown, it appeared (the student pilot)was having a directional control problem, and for some reason applied heavy right brake, which forced the airplane to execute a hard right turn." While in the right turn, the left main landing gear separated, the left wing struck the ground, and the airplane spun on the runway about 140 degrees before coming to rest. (-23) in an interview, the pilot reported he was conducting short practice short field landings to the runway, landing to the north. He had departed about 1250, and conducted one touch and go. During the second approach, the winds were from the west (left side) and the landing was planned to terminate as a full stop. After touchdown, the tricycle landing gear airplane was struck by a gust of wind, and the left wing raised up. The pilot was unable to lower the wing, and the airplane turned right and departed the runway. The terrain slopped down, and the airplane remained about runway height, as if flew into a line of trees along the right side of the runway, and came to rest. The pilot reported the winds had been variable at about 5 knots with higher gusts.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 28, 1998, ABOUT 1300 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152, N25858, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PRACTICE LANDING AT THE POTTSTOWN LIMERICK AIRPORT (PTW), POTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A "TEXAS TAILDRAGGER" CONVERSION. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE MADE THREE UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. ON THE FOURTH LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, THEN BOUNCED, THEN TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN ON ALL THREE WHEELS. IT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, SO THE STUDENT PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER. WHEN HE FELT THE RUDDER WAS INEFFECTIVE, HE APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE, AND THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO ITS LEFT. THE STUDENT PILOT DID NOT RECALL IF HE REMOVED THE POWER THAT WAS APPLIED AFTER THE FIRST BOUNCE, NOR DID HE RECALL INPUTS MADE WITH THE YOKE. THE STUDENT PILOT'S INSTRUCTOR WAS WATCHING FROM THE GROUND AND OBSERVED THE STUDENT PILOT MAKE A THREE-POINT LANDING. HE STATED: "WITHIN SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN, IT APPEARED (THE STUDENT PILOT)WAS HAVING A DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PROBLEM, AND FOR SOME REASON APPLIED HEAVY RIGHT BRAKE, WHICH FORCED THE AIRPLANE TO EXECUTE A HARD RIGHT TURN." WHILE IN THE RIGHT TURN, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE SPUN ON THE RUNWAY ABOUT 140 DEGREES BEFORE COMING TO REST. (-23) IN AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS CONDUCTING SHORT PRACTICE SHORT FIELD LANDINGS TO THE RUNWAY, LANDING TO THE NORTH. HE HAD DEPARTED ABOUT 1250, AND CONDUCTED ONE TOUCH AND GO. DURING THE SECOND APPROACH, THE WINDS WERE FROM THE WEST (LEFT SIDE) AND THE LANDING WAS PLANNED TO TERMINATE AS A FULL STOP. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE TRICYCLE LANDING GEAR AIRPLANE WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND, AND THE LEFT WING RAISED UP. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE WING, AND THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE TERRAIN SLOPPED DOWN, AND THE AIRPLANE REMAINED ABOUT RUNWAY HEIGHT, AS IF FLEW INTO A LINE OF TREES ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND CAME TO REST. THE PILOT REPORTED THE WINDS HAD BEEN VARIABLE AT ABOUT 5 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N25858 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.