- Date
- September 25, 2019, 17:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6450BCessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190925018599A
- Case key
- 100335
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 landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.
Findings · 2
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, shortly after the airplane landed, it ballooned and then bounced twice. Subsequently, the airplane pitched down, and the nose landing gear struck the runway and then collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student solo pilot reported that, shortly after touchdown, the airplane landed ballooned and bounced twice. Subsequently, the airplane pitched down, the nose landing gear struck the runway and collapsed on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 20 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 230° at 8 knots and about 40 minutes after the accident the wind was from 210° at 8 knots. The pilot reported that during landing, the winds were 230° at 9 knots, gusting 16 knots. The student pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6450B
- Reported as
- Cessna 152 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283935
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Purdue Aviation Llc
- Registered owner
- Purdue Aviation Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Destination
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University, runway 28, 6,600 × 150 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 25, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 23, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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 N6450B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.