# NTSB LAX94LA385: Cessna 152, N89546, Fallbrook, CA, September 24, 1994

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 24, 1994, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place: Fallbrook, CA
- Coordinates: 33.389762, -117.210113 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3898&lon=-117.2101&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 9, 1995
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 28878
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX94LA385
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/28878/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX94LA385

## Probable cause

The student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown
  - flare - misjudged, pilot in command
  - recovery from bounced landing - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - landing gear,nose gear strut - overload

## Analysis

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING IN THE LOCAL AREA AND RETURNED TO THE CARLSBAD PALOMAR AIRPORT. WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE AIRPORT RUNWAY WAS CLOSED DUE TO A DISABLED AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT DIVERTED TO FALLBROOK TO AWAIT THE REOPENING OF THE CARLSBAD RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AT FALLBROOK, PORPOISED, AND BROKE OFF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT, DAMAGING THE ENGINE FIREWALL. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE PILOT HAS BEEN ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHTS TO THE FALLBROOK AIRPORT AND HAS LANDED THERE BEFORE.

## Factual narrative

On September 24, 1994, at 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N89546, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Fallbrook, California, airport.  The aircraft was operated by Four Winds Aviation, Inc., of Carlsbad, California, and was rented by the pilot for a local area solo instructional flight.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed.  The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.  The flight originated at the Carlsbad Palomar airport on the day of the accident at 1200 hours.

According to the operator, the 37-hour student pilot was practicing in the local area and returned to the Carlsbad Palomar airport.  While in the traffic pattern, the airport runway was closed due to a disabled aircraft and the pilot diverted to Fallbrook to await the reopening of the Carlsbad runway.  The aircraft landed hard at Fallbrook, porpoised, and broke off the nose gear strut, damaging the engine firewall.

The operator stated that the pilot has been endorsed for solo flights to the Fallbrook airport and has landed there before.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N89546 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 15282546
- Airframe hours: 5947
- Engines: LYCOMING O-235-L2C 110 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Four Winds Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner: Pinnacle Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, August 30, 1994, 54 hours before
- Departed: CRQ, CARLSBAD, CA
- Destination: CRQ, CA
- Airport: L18, Fallbrook Airpark, runway 18, 2,160 × 70 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 48; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 40 total, 36 in this make and model, 5 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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