CHI94LA115

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Wheeling, IL · March 17, 1994

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 17, 1994, 14:02 local (20:02 UTC)
Place
Wheeling, IL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N2MSCessna 152
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 14, 1994
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19940317005619A
Case key
9491

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the student pilot's improper 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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The student pilot reported he flared too high, then started to drift. He pushed the nose forward, the airplane contacted the ground nose first and bounced back into the air. The student pilot reported when he tried to recover, the airplane 'stalled' and dropped abruptly to the ground. The student pilot reported 30 hours total flight experience, including 2 hours within the preceding 90 days.

Factual narrative

On March 17, 1994, at 1402 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N2MS, piloted by a student pilot on a solo instructional flight, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing while practicing touch and go landings on Runway 12L at Palwaukee Airport (PWK), in Wheeling, Illinois. The student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Wheeling, approximately 1345.

The student pilot stated everything looked fine to him during the approach, but he flared too high. He reported the airplane began to drift off the left side of the runway, so he pushed the nose down to get the airplane on the ground. The airplane impacted the ground nose first, then bounced and became airborne again. The student pilot reported he tried to recover and reestablish the airplane in a flare. The airplane "stalled" and dropped abruptly to the ground. The student pilot reported about 30 hours total flight experience, of which 2 hours were in the preceding 90 days. A record of conversation with the FAA Inspector is appended.

Aircraft

Registration
N2MS
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15282011
Airframe hours
3,166
Engine
Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Sundmacher, Marjorie M.
Registered owner
Sundmacher, Marjorie M.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
Annual · September 3, 1993 · 62 hours before
Airport
PWK · Palwaukee, runway 12, 4,397 × 50 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
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
30 total · 30 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
120° at 10 knots
Visibility
15 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
8,500 ft broken
Temperature
36 °F, dew point 16 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
PWK

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.