- Date
- February 8, 2008, 12:11 local (17:11 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N24768Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Fort Worth FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080208832119A
- Case key
- 67767
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 landing flare resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusty surface winds and the student pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
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
During a solo long cross country flight the student pilot stated that he failed to touchdown at either destination airport because of strong headwinds and gusty surface winds. During his return to his departure airport the student pilot stated that he did a go-around on his first landing attempt because of surface winds which he recalled were gusting to 37 knots. On the second landing attempt the student pilot stated that a gust of wind pushed him down to the runway. The airplane then bounced and landed hard on the nose gear causing structural damage to the nose gear and the firewall. A review of the student pilot's logbook shows the flight instructor had cleared the student pilot for the solo long cross country flight even though the student pilot's logbook endorsement showed a maximum surface wind limitation of 20 knots.
Factual narrative
During a solo long cross country flight the student pilot stated that he failed to touch down at either destination airport because of strong headwinds and gusty surface winds. During his return to his departure airport the student pilot stated that he did a go-around on his first landing attempt because of surface winds which he recalled were gusting to 37 knots. On the second landing attempt the student pilot stated that a gust of wind pushed him down to the runway. The airplane then bounced and landed hard on the nose gear causing structural damage to the nose gear and the firewall. A review of the student pilot's logbook shows the flight instructor had cleared the student pilot for the solo long cross country flight even though the student pilot's logbook endorsement showed a maximum surface wind limitation of 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24768
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280366
- Airframe hours
- 7,808
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Skymates Inc.
- Registered owner
- Skymates Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 1, 2008
- Departed
- F54 · Arlington, TX
- Destination
- F54 · Arlington, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- F54 · Arlington Municipal, runway 16, 6,080 × 100 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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 14 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KGKY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.