What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A low time student pilot departed on a solo flight from Gillespie field, his second VFR local flight of the day. He stated that his approach to rwy 27L seemed higher than normal and he increased his rate of descent in order to "make the runway". The pilot selected full flaps during final approach. He flared the aircraft approximately 5' to 10' above ground level. The aircraft stalled then bounced twice (porpoising) before it struck hard on the nose landing gear causing it to shear the lower strut from its attaching structure. Other damage to the aircraft consisted of a bent propeller, buckling of the firewall, and other minor sheet metal damage to the cowling. The pilot was not injured as a result of the accident. The aircraft was in current inspection status. No mechanical abnormalities were noted that would have contributed to the hard landing. The pilot had the proper certificates that allowed him to solo the aircraft. The pilot indicated that he should have initiated a "go-around" to prevent the accident. This report is not related to any pilot deviation or NMAC reported by ATC. The pilot indicated that his is discontinuing his flight instruction and and returning to his home in the u.k. (.19) on September 17, 2002, about 1539 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N5100B, landed hard on runway 27L at Gillespie field, El Cajon, California. The airplane's nose gear assembly collapsed and the firewall buckled. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 during the solo instructional flight. He was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from El Cajon at 1445. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board investigator that the accident occurred while he was attempting to land at the conclusion of his practice flight. The pilot indicated that he extended the wing flaps to the 30-degrees position and initiated the approach. No mechanical problems were experienced with the airplane. The pilot further reported that while landing he "flared too high," and then the airplane's nose dropped. The airplane contacted the runway and bounced several times before coming to rest.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A LOW TIME STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED ON A SOLO FLIGHT FROM GILLESPIE FIELD, HIS SECOND VFR LOCAL FLIGHT OF THE DAY. HE STATED THAT HIS APPROACH TO RWY 27L SEEMED HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND HE INCREASED HIS RATE OF DESCENT IN ORDER TO "MAKE THE RUNWAY". THE PILOT SELECTED FULL FLAPS DURING FINAL APPROACH. HE FLARED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 5' TO 10' ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED THEN BOUNCED TWICE (PORPOISING) BEFORE IT STRUCK HARD ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CAUSING IT TO SHEAR THE LOWER STRUT FROM ITS ATTACHING STRUCTURE. OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF A BENT PROPELLER, BUCKLING OF THE FIREWALL, AND OTHER MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE COWLING. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT INSPECTION STATUS. NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HARD LANDING. THE PILOT HAD THE PROPER CERTIFICATES THAT ALLOWED HIM TO SOLO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A "GO-AROUND" TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENT. THIS REPORT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY PILOT DEVIATION OR NMAC REPORTED BY ATC. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HIS IS DISCONTINUING HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTION AND AND RETURNING TO HIS HOME IN THE U.K. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2002, ABOUT 1539 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152, N5100B, LANDED HARD ON RUNWAY 27L AT GILLESPIE FIELD, EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED AND THE FIREWALL BUCKLED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 DURING THE SOLO INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. HE WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM EL CAJON AT 1445. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS PRACTICE FLIGHT. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE EXTENDED THE WING FLAPS TO THE 30-DEGREES POSITION AND INITIATED THE APPROACH. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE EXPERIENCED WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT WHILE LANDING HE "FLARED TOO HIGH," AND THEN THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE DROPPED. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND BOUNCED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST.
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 N5100B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.