- Date
- November 15, 1991, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Portsmouth, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3072VCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911115053119A
- Case key
- 11751
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 pilot's improper flare attitude during the landing flare/touchdown and his failure to initiate recovery from a bounced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot was preparing to practice full stop landings on runway 20. He was on his first landing when the accident occurred. He reported that he flew a stabilized 62 mph final approach speed with full flaps and enough power to stay on glide path. He stated that he reduced to idle power as the aircraft crossed the threshold. The aircraft bounced on touchdown, followed by a second bounce which caused the nose gear to collapse. The pilot does not recall adding any power or adjusting the pitch to the proper touchdown attitude. The club's chief CFI stated that he encountered some vertical wind shear during final and on touchdown. The approach end of this runway is surrounded by trees and there is always turbulence in the vicinity according to the CFI. There were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3072V
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15076377
- Airframe hours
- 5,484
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William P O'Donnell
- Registered owner
- United States Navy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 13, 1991 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- NGU · Norfolk, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PVG · Hampton Roads, runway 2, 3,524 × 70 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 26 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHF, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.