# NTSB FTW97LA183: Cessna 152, N93124, College Station, TX, May 8, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 8, 1997, 13:10 local (18:10 UTC) - Place: College Station, TX - Location: 30.5880° N, 96.3625° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EASTERWOOD FLD (CLL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5880&lon=-96.3625&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 30, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20214 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW97LA183 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20214/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA183 ## Probable cause The pilot's loss of control due to delayed landing flare. A factor was the porpoise encountered during landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - flare - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - encountered, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that this was her second supervised solo. She stated that she 'set up a normal approach to land and she touched down on all three wheels.' She further stated that 'the airplane ballooned up (porpoising) three to five feet in the air.' The student pilot initiated a go-around procedure, but the airplane came down on the nose wheel which subsequently collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The student pilot's flight instructor added that the first touchdown was on all three tires but 'the touch down was smooth.' He further stated that 'the aircraft became airborne again and the pilot pitched down allowing the wheels to touch down on the nose wheel first (pitch attitude slightly nose low).' He reported that the 'second touch down resulted in a porpoising that collapsed the nose wheel.' The instructor stated that during the 'final few seconds' of the landing sequence, he could hear power being applied to the airplane, but 'the nose was too low for the pilot to initiate a climb.' ## Factual narrative On May 8, 1997, at 1310 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N93124, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at Easterwood Field, near College Station, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned by the Texas A and M Flying Club and operated by the owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local training flight which had originated approximately 1 hour, 10 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The student pilot reported to the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) that this was her second supervised solo. She stated that she "set up a normal approach to land and she touched down on all three wheels." She further stated that "the airplane ballooned up (porpoising) three to five feet in the air." The student pilot initiated a go-around procedure but the airplane came down on the nose wheel which subsequently collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop. According to the flight instructor in his written witness statement, the pilot made "a normal approach and continued to landing with a touchdown on all three tires at normal approach speed, the touch down was smooth." He further stated that "the aircraft became airborne again and the pilot pitched down allowing the wheels to touch down on the nose wheel first (pitch attitude slightly nose low)." He reported that the "second touch down resulted in a porpoising that collapsed the nose wheel." The instructor stated that during the "final few seconds" of the landing sequence, he could hear power being applied to the airplane, but "the nose was too low for the pilot to initiate a climb." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N93124](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N93124), registered now, S/N 15285409, built 1981 (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: 15285409 - Airframe hours: 5477 - Engines: Lycoming O-235 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Texas A And M Flying Club - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 26, 1996, 113 hours before - Departed: CLL - Airport: CLL, Easterwood Field, runway 16, 7,000 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 20; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 48 total, 12 in this make and model, 1 as pilot in command, 18 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: CLL, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970508015859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970508015859A), May 8, 1997: Cessna 152, College Station, TX, Substantial damage. Second solo landed flat. Ballooned added power hit runway on nose causing it to fold. Stopped on runway. (-23) on may 8, 1997, at 1304 CDT, a Cessna 152 N93124… ## Other investigations on N93124 (1) 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. - [NTSB CEN13LA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA149), Feb 1, 2013: Cessna 152 (N93124), College Station, TX, minor damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s and commercial pilot’s failure to see and avoid the other airplane, which resulted in a collision during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.