- Date
- June 28, 2009, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N49897Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090628047389A
- Case key
- 74168
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 recovery from a bounced landing.
Findings · 3
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 pilot was flying solo in the traffic pattern for runway 35. As he approached the runway, he reduced power and added flaps to decrease the airspeed. The airplane bounced upon touchdown and the pilot added a “small amount” of power. The airplane bounced a second time, and then settled onto the runway. The third time the airplane contacted the runway, the nose gear collapsed. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 090 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot was flying solo in the traffic pattern for runway 35. As he approached the runway, he reduced power and added flaps to decrease the airspeed. The airplane bounced upon touchdown and the pilot added a “small amount” of power. The airplane bounced a second time, and then settled onto the runway. The third time the airplane contacted, the runway the nose gear collapsed, substantially damaging the wing spar. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 090 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49897
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281379
- Airframe hours
- 9,108
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Palmetto Air Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Palmetto Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 2009
- Departed
- LRO · Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Destination
- LRO · Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Airport
- LRO · Mt. Pleasant Regional Faison, runway 35, 3,700 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 22 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- LRO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.