- Date
- February 24, 2009, 13:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N94626Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20090224005889I
- Case key
- 73474
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 student pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Findings · 4
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 student pilot reported that the accident occurred during the flight's first touch-and-go landing. The pilot stated that the landing approach was normal, but on touchdown the airplane bounced and then touched down again on the left side of the runway. The airplane traveled off the left side of the runway, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot said, "I should have either maintained directional control or done a go-around."
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that the accident occurred during the flight's first touch and go landing. The pilot stated the landing approach was normal, but on touchdown, the airplane bounced, and then touched down again on the left side of the runway. The airplane traveled off the left side of the runway, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane received substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. In her written statement to the NTSB, the pilot said, "I should have either maintained directional control or done a go-around."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94626
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285747
- Airframe hours
- 14,448
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fort Wayne Flight Academy Inc
- Registered owner
- Fort Wayne Flight Academy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 17, 2008 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- FWA · Fort Wayne, IN
- Destination
- FWA · Fort Wayne, IN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- FWA · Fort Wayne International, runway 14, 8,001 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 65 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.38 inHg
- Observed at
- FWA, 1 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.