- Date
- May 22, 1999, 08:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- Slidell, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4850BCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990522045559A
- Case key
- 46357
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 her subsequent improper recovery technique following the 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 was executing her third solo landing when the airplane's nose wheel contacted the runway surface first. The airplane porpoised approximately four times, and the nose landing gear separated from the airframe. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left of the centerline and nosed over. The student pilot reported that at the time of the accident the winds were calm and the visibility was greater than 10 miles.
Factual narrative
On May 22, 1999, at 0835 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N4850B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Slidell Airport, Slidell, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to and operated by Slidell Aviation Services Inc., of Slidell, Louisiana. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from Slidell at 0800.
According to the 26-hour student pilot and her instructor, prior to her first solo flight, the student pilot had executed "three perfect landings dual." The flight instructor then exited the airplane, and the student pilot taxied the airplane to runway 36 for her first solo flight. The student pilot performed two landings without incident. During the third landing, the airplane contacted the runway "nose wheel first and ballooned." The airplane porpoised approximately four times, and the nose landing gear separated from the airframe. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left of the centerline and "flipped over," coming to rest inverted.
The student pilot and her instructor reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was calm and the visibility was greater than 10 miles.
An FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the site, stated that the vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer were structurally damaged. The fire wall was wrinkled and an engine mount was separated. Additionally, he confirmed that the nose landing gear separated from the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4850B
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283672
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Slidell Aviation Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ASD
- Airport
- ASD · Slidell Airport, runway 36, 4,058 × 0 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 26 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.