# NTSB ERA13CA246: Cessna 152, N4844H, Oxford, NC, May 14, 2013

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: May 14, 2013, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place: Oxford, NC
- Coordinates: 35.361389, -78.529167 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.3614&lon=-78.5292&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report July 23, 2013
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 86942
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA13CA246
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/86942/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86942
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA246

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [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)
- [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)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: 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)

## Analysis

The student pilot was performing a supervised solo flight in the airport traffic pattern. Following an uneventful circuit around the traffic pattern, and while on final approach to the runway, the pilot held the airplane in a nose-low attitude in order to avoid losing airspeed. The pilot then flared the airplane “too late,” and the nose landing gear impacted the runway hard, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical anomalies of the airplane, nor were any discovered during post-accident examination of the airframe.

## Factual narrative

The student pilot was performing a supervised solo flight in the airport traffic pattern. Following an uneventful circuit around the traffic pattern, and while on final approach to the runway, the pilot held the airplane in a nose-low attitude in order to avoid losing airspeed. The pilot then flared the airplane “too late,” and the nose landing gear impacted the runway hard, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical anomalies of the airplane, nor were any discovered during post-accident examination of the airframe by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4844H](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4844H-2015-05-20), registration cancelled 2015-05-20, S/N 15283984, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- 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: 15283984
- Airframe hours: 6470
- Engines: LYCOMING O-235-L2C 115 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Empire Aviation
- Registered owner: Empire Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: 100 hour, February 7, 2013
- Departed: HNZ, Oxford, NC
- Destination: HNZ, Oxford, NC
- Airport: HNZ, Henderson-Oxford Airport, runway 24, 5,002 × 97 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 80; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 80 total, 80 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observed at: HNZ

## 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 20130514006919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130514006919A), May 14, 2013: Cessna 152, Oxford, NC, Destroyed. Student pilot was flying a supervised solo on runway 24 at hnz airport. Student pilot landed aircraft in a nose-low attitude, failing to flare soon enough.…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86942. 3.7 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 559 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40394216&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Student Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 18 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40394226&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Student%20Pilot%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF
- Flight Instructor/Witness Statement (item 3, .PDF, 21 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40394218&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Instructor%2FWitness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF
- FAA Inspector's Statement (item 4, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40394220&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF
- Photo 1 - Airplane from Front Right (item 5, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40394221&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Airplane%20from%20Front%20Right-Master.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.

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