- Date
- August 16, 1996, 11:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Collins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6935SCessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 23, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960816023019A
- Case key
- 19945
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
improper flare by the pilot, which resulted in a hard landing, and subsequent overload failure of the nosewheel axle and nose gear.
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
During a local area solo training flight, the student pilot flew to another local airport to conduct a touch-and-go landing. A landing occurred which sheared off the nose landing gear and damaged the propeller. The student, apparently unaware of the damage, then flew to the local practice area, conducted maneuvers for an unknown period of time, and proceeded back to the point of origin for a final landing. During the final landing, further damage was sustained to the remains of the nose landing gear assembly, propeller, and the right outer wing leading edge. Examination of the failed nose landing gear axle bolt revealed the bolt failed in overload.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 1996, at 1125 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N6935S, sheared off the nose landing gear during a touch-and-go landing at Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL), Fort Collins , Colorado. The student pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this student solo training flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Fort Collins Downtown Airpark (3V5), approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident.
Witness marks, debris on the runway, and the pilot's statement revealed the student was performing a touch-and-go landing at FNL and a landing occurred which sheared off the nose landing gear and damaged the propeller. The flight became airborne following this event and the student pilot, unaware of the damage, flew to the local practice area, spent some period of time practicing maneuvers, then flew the aircraft back to the departure airport, 3V5. During landing at 3V5, further damage was sustained to the remaining portion of the nose landing gear assembly, propeller, and right outer wing leading edge.
Examination of the failed nose landing gear axle bolt by a Safety Board metallurgist revealed that the axle bolt failed in overload.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6935S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067635
- Airframe hours
- 5,427
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- The Pilot Center
- Registered owner
- Bob Faris/Linda Bilsing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 1996 · 81 hours before
- Departed
- 3V5 · CO
- Airport
- FNL · Fort Collins/Loveland, runway 33, 8,500 × 100 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
- 20
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 57 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6935S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.