20020509009349A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Houston, TX · May 9, 2002

Date
May 9, 2002 · 12:10 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
West Houston-Lakeside Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N48819
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA149
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
36 total36 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

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.

(.19) On may 9, 2002, at 1210 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N48819, was substantially damaged during landing at the west Houston airport, Houston, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by mvp aviation inc., of Houston, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 instructional solo flight. The local flight originated from the weiser airpark airport, Houston, Texas, at 1100. According to the flight instructor, the flight departed and flew to the west Houston airport. The student pilot demonstrated 4 landings on runway 15 before the flight instructor exited the airplane, so that the student pilot could solo the airplane in the traffic pattern. The flight instructor added that this was the student's fifth solo flight. The student pilot performed the first touch-and-go landing without incident. During the second approach, while on short final, she noted that her airspeed was "a little high (80-90 knots)." During the landing flare the airplane bounced two times, and on the third bounce the nose gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. According to the FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, the engine firewall was wrinkled and the vertical stabilizer and rudder were structurally damaged. (-23) student pilot on supervised solo made flaps up landing on nose gear. Nose gear tire and strut fork failed. Aircraft departed runway to the right. Nose gear strut became imbedded in sod between runway and taxiway. Aircraft came to rest on its back. Aircraft sustained substantial damage. Student pilot sustained minor injuries. Investigation is closed. (.4) with a flight instructor on board, the student pilot demonstrated four touch-and-go landings on runway 15, and one approach that was followed by a go-around. The flight instructor reported that the wind was "straight down the runway at 7 knots." The instructor exited the airplane so that the student pilot could solo the airplane in the traffic pattern. This was the student's fifth solo flight. The student pilot performed the first touch-and-go landing without incident. During the second approach, while on short fin al, she noted that her airspeed was "around 80 knots, which was too high." She attempted to slow the airplane; however, due to "gusty winds on short final, [she] panicked." The student reported that the airplane was "near the runway" when the airplane encountered a downdraft, which "caused [it] to slam onto the runway" with both main landing gear. The airplane bounced two times, during which the nose landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane exited the right side of the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. A weather observation facility 23 miles southeast of the accident site reported the wind from 190 degrees at 15 knots near the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON MAY 9, 2002, AT 1210 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152 AIRPLANE, N48819, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING AT THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MVP AVIATION INC., OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL SOLO FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WEISER AIRPARK AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS, AT 1100. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AND FLEW TO THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT. THE STUDENT PILOT DEMONSTRATED 4 LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 15 BEFORE THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EXITED THE AIRPLANE, SO THAT THE STUDENT PILOT COULD SOLO THE AIRPLANE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ADDED THAT THIS WAS THE STUDENT'S FIFTH SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED THE FIRST TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING THE SECOND APPROACH, WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, SHE NOTED THAT HER AIRSPEED WAS "A LITTLE HIGH (80-90 KNOTS)." DURING THE LANDING FLARE THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED TWO TIMES, AND ON THE THIRD BOUNCE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE, THE ENGINE FIREWALL WAS WRINKLED AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER WERE STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. (-23) STUDENT PILOT ON SUPERVISED SOLO MADE FLAPS UP LANDING ON NOSE GEAR. NOSE GEAR TIRE AND STRUT FORK FAILED. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT. NOSE GEAR STRUT BECAME IMBEDDED IN SOD BETWEEN RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. (.4) WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD, THE STUDENT PILOT DEMONSTRATED FOUR TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 15, AND ONE APPROACH THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A GO-AROUND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS "STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY AT 7 KNOTS." THE INSTRUCTOR EXITED THE AIRPLANE SO THAT THE STUDENT PILOT COULD SOLO THE AIRPLANE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THIS WAS THE STUDENT'S FIFTH SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED THE FIRST TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING THE SECOND APPROACH, WHILE ON SHORT FIN AL, SHE NOTED THAT HER AIRSPEED WAS "AROUND 80 KNOTS, WHICH WAS TOO HIGH." SHE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, DUE TO "GUSTY WINDS ON SHORT FINAL, [SHE] PANICKED." THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS "NEAR THE RUNWAY" WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT, WHICH "CAUSED [IT] TO SLAM ONTO THE RUNWAY" WITH BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED TWO TIMES, DURING WHICH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY 23 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THE WIND FROM 190 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 N48819 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.