19981220044839I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 152 · Kalamazoo, MI · December 20, 1998

Date: December 20, 1998 · 13:01 local
Place: Kalamazoo, MI
Airport: Kalamazoo County
Phase of flight: Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9KA
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 34 total34 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N9KARegistered now · Cessna 152S/N 15284552 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Mr. Fichtner was flying his 3rd solo and making his second landing on this flight. He was making touch and go's on runway 09 at azo, his speed was 65KT with full flaps crossing the runway threshold. When he flared to land the aircraft swerved to the left and he struck a runway light causing minor damage. He does not know why he swerved. Mr. Todd swanson, his instructor, was watching from the ramp and stated that the landing looked good and that he did not knwo why the aircraft swerved to the left.

As the FAA filed it

MR. FICHTNER WAS FLYING HIS 3RD SOLO AND MAKING HIS SECOND LANDING ON THIS FLIGHT. HE WAS MAKING TOUCH AND GO'S ON RUNWAY 09 AT AZO, HIS SPEED WAS 65KT WITH FULL FLAPS CROSSING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. WHEN HE FLARED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND HE STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY HE SWERVED. MR. TODD SWANSON, HIS INSTRUCTOR, WAS WATCHING FROM THE RAMP AND STATED THAT THE LANDING LOOKED GOOD AND THAT HE DID NOT KNWO WHY THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT.