- Date
- July 27, 2016, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Denton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4702PCessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160727017699I
- Case key
- 93705
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 improper approach descent rate and landing flare attitude, which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the nose landing gear.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that during his third supervised solo landing, the airplane touched down hard in a level attitude and bounced. The student pilot further reported that the airplane bounced three times and the nose wheel collapsed. A post-accident examination by a mechanic, revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot's instructor reported that from the airport control tower he observed the student pilot touch down fast, bounce the airplane three times, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during his third supervised solo landing, the airplane touched down hard in a level attitude and bounced. The student pilot further reported that the airplane bounced three times and the nose wheel collapsed. A post-accident examination by a mechanic, revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot's instructor reported that from the airport control tower he observed the student pilot touch down fast, bounce the airplane three times, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4702P
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284801
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 15,935.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 19, 2016
- Departed
- DTO · Denton, TX
- Destination
- DTO · Denton, TX
- Airport
- DTO · Denton Enterprise, runway 18, 7,002 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 44 in this make and model · 26 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KDTO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
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 N4702P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.