- Date
- August 1, 2016, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Scappoose, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N49276Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160801006939A
- Case key
- 93738
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 failure to maintain pitch control during the landing flare in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing/abnormal runway contact, a partial nose wheel collapse and substantial damage to the firewall.
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 solo student pilot reported that during the third landing of his first solo, the airplane was a "little high" on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the right wing was lifted by a crosswind and the airplane bounced nose wheel first on the runway. Subsequently, the nose wheel partially collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing system (AWOS) at the airport about 7 minutes before the accident recorded the wind at 020 degrees true at 11 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The AWOS at the airport about 53 minutes after the accident recorded the wind at 330 degrees true at 8 knots. The student pilot reported that the landing was on runway 33.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that during the third landing of his first solo, the airplane was a "little high" on final approach. He further reported that during the landing flare, the right wing was lifted by a crosswind and the airplane bounced nose wheel first on the runway. Subsequently, the nose wheel partially collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing system (AWOS) at the airport about 7 minutes before the accident recorded the wind at 020 degrees true at 11 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The AWOS at the airport about 53 minutes after the accident recorded the wind at 330 degrees true at 8 knots. The student pilot reported that the landing was on runway 33.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49276
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281217
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 18,015.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hillsboro Aero Academy
- Registered owner
- Hillsboro Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 29, 2016
- Departed
- SPB · Scappoose, OR
- Destination
- SPB · Scappoose, OR
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- SPB · Scappoose Industrial Airpark, runway 33, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KSPB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.