- Date
- August 21, 2000, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wichita Falls, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4711LCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000821043879A
- Case key
- 50049
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 delayed landing flare and failure to recover from the ensuing 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.
Analysis
The student pilot attempted to land on runway 17 with 20 degrees of flaps. According to the pilot, during the landing, the nose landing gear touched the runway first, 'causing the aircraft to bounce.' The airplane bounced a second time, and 'then on contact with the runway the third time, the nose gear collapsed.' Subsequently, the airplane skidded to the left edge of the runway, and came to rest upright. The pilot reported that he was never made aware of how to recover from a bounced landing.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 2000, at 0945 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N4711L, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Kickapoo Downtown Airpark, Wichita Falls, Texas. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional solo flight. The local flight departed the Kickapoo Airpark at 0900.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the 26-hour pilot stated that he attempted to land on runway 17 with 20 degrees of flaps. He reported that the wind was from the south-southwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. During the landing, "the nose gear touched the runway first, causing the aircraft to bounce." The airplane bounced a second time, "then on contact with the runway the third time, the nose gear collapsed," structurally damaging the firewall. Subsequently, the airplane skidded to the left edge of the runway, and came to rest upright.
In the Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation section, the pilot reported that he was "never made aware of the method to recover from this situation. I should have been instructed regarding a bounced landing."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4711L
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284223
- Airframe hours
- 8,065
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Barbara Huffman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2000 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- T47
- Airport
- T47 · Kickapoo Downtown Airpark, runway 17, 4,216 × 60 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
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 26 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.