# Accident 20020509009349A: Cessna 152, Houston, TX, May 9, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 9, 2002, 12:10 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Airport: West Houston-Lakeside Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.6101° N, 95.1192° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6101&lon=-95.1192&mi=10 - Aircraft: N48819, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48819-2004-09-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 - Reported engine: LYC O235L2C - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 36 total, 36 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA149) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020509009349A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW02LA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA149), May 9, 2002: Cessna 152 (N48819), Houston, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a nose over. ## Other reports on N48819 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19940222002779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940222002779A), Feb 22, 1994: Cessna 152 (N48819), Eagle Lake, TX, Destroyed. Veered off runway on landing and nosed over. Student may have been on opposite rudder. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.