- Date
- March 2, 2017, 08:27 local (14:27 UTC)
- Place
- Tulsa, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6138QCessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170302001169A
- Case key
- 94820
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 loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
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 his first solo flight, on the second landing of three, the airplane porpoised. His flight instructor was observing the airplane and reported that the nosewheel impacted the ground first. Subsequently, the student pilot added power and performed a go-around. The flight instructor added that, on the third landing, the touchdown was soft and on the main landing gear. Once the nosewheel touched down, the airplane veered off the runway to the right into grass and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during his first solo flight, on the second landing of three, the airplane porpoised. His flight instructor was observing the airplane and reported that the nose wheel impacted the ground first. Subsequently, the student pilot added power and performed a go-around. On the third landing the flight instructor added that the touchdown was soft and on the main landing gear. Once the nose wheel touched down, the airplane veered off the runway to the right, into grass, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6138Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285162
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 16,555.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Spartan Education LLC.
- Registered owner
- Spartan Education LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2017
- Departed
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Destination
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Airport
- RVS · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr, runway 1R, 4,208 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 27 in this make and model · 27 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- KRVS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.