# NTSB CEN20CA371: Cessna 152, N94589, Willoughby, OH, August 24, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 24, 2020, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC) - Place: Willoughby, OH - Coordinates: 41.684028, -81.38975 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6840&lon=-81.3898&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101885 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA371 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101885/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101885 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA371 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s improper landing flare that resulted in a porpoise and collapsed nose landing gear. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 46 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 115 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 48 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was enroute on a solo flight to meet a designated pilot examiner for a check ride for his private pilot certificate. During the landing flare the airplane began to float. The student pilot tried to correct, and the airplane began to porpoise. During the impact with the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the runway surface. Inspection of the airplane revealed that the firewall sustained substantial damage, and the tubular steel mounts impinged the flight controls. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N94589](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N94589), registered now, S/N 15285740, built 1983 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 152 (No Series) - Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15285740 - Year built: 1983 - Airframe hours: 10420 - Engines: Lycoming O-235 SERIES 180 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Haverlock Aircraft LLC - Registered owner: Haverlock Aircraft LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 9, 2020 - Departed: BKL, Cleveland, OH - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: LNN, Lake County Executive, runway 23, 5,028 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 30; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 73 total, 73 in this make and model, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 63 °F - Observed at: LNN ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200824017049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200824017049A), Aug 24, 2020: Cessna 152, Willoughby, OH, Substantial damage. Solo student pilot departed burke lakefront (kbkl) to Lost Nation (klnn) to meet a designated pilot examiner for his private pilot checkride. Weather was VFR,… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101885. 2.2 MB in all. - _Memorandum for the record student pilot statement summary CEN20CA371 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12577000&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=_Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20Student%20Pilot%20Statement%20Summary%20CEN20CA371_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for the record FAA inspector findings CEN20CA371 (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11758192&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20FAA%20Inspector%20Findings%20CEN20CA371_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array CEN20CA371 (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11758088&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20CEN20CA371-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.