- Date
- March 27, 2022, 16:47 local (Mar 28, 2022, 00:47 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N915AACessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220327004349A
- Case key
- 104853
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the student pilot which resulted in an impact with terrain and a nose-over.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that, while on final approach to land, he noticed that the student pilot had allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay. In an effort to correct for the decaying airspeed he assumed control and pitched the airplane down to no avail. The airplane impacted short of the runway and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N915AA
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280359
- Built
- 1977
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field Airport
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 509 total · 78 in this make and model · 407 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 49.5 total · 42.1 in this make and model · 0.7 as pilot in command · 18.9 in the last 90 days · 10.1 in the last 30 days · 1.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.71 inHg
- Observed at
- PAMR
- METAR
- PAMR 280053Z 32004KT 10SM BKN060 OVC070 03/M04 A2971 RMK AO2 SLP063 T00281039
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.