# NTSB MIA97LA114: Cessna 150G, N2402J, St. Petersburg, FL, April 3, 1997

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: April 3, 1997, 14:17 local (19:17 UTC)
- Place: St. Petersburg, FL
- Coordinates: 27.76933, -82.629936 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7693&lon=-82.6299&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 25, 1997
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 38242
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA97LA114
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38242/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA114

## Probable cause

the student pilot's improper level off.

## Sequence of events

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

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - level off - improper, pilot in command (cause)
- Nose over, landing - roll
  - landing gear,wheel - separation

## Analysis

The student pilot was performing touch-and-go landings.  On his fifth landing, he landed hard.  The nose wheel came off, the airplane skidded on the fork for about 100 feet, departed the runway onto the grass that parallels the runway, and nosed over on the tail.

## Factual narrative

On April 3, 1997, about 1417 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150G, N2402J, registered to a private owner, crashed while landing near St. Petersburg, Florida.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 local training flight.  The student pilot was not injured.  The airplane was substantially damaged.

The student pilot was performing touch-and-go landings.  The pilot said, on his fifth landing, "I flared improperly and landed hard.  Nose wheel came off, the plane skidded on the fork for about 100 feet.  Plane went off [the] runway, the fork struck in [the grass] and [the] plane slowly tipped over on the tail...."

According to the FAA inspector's statement, "[the] pilot/owner admitted making a nose hard landing due to not properly flaring the aircraft on his fifth touch and go landing."  The inspector further stated that the airplane had landed on runway 6, the nose wheel separated, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, onto the grass strip that paralleled the runway, before it nosed over onto the tail.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N2402J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2402J-2021-10-18), registration cancelled 2021-10-18, S/N 15065502, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 150G
- Registry model: [Cessna 150G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150g) (registry code 2071816) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 15065502
- Airframe hours: 8524
- Engines: Continental O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Douglas H. Hutchison
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, June 14, 1996, 125 hours before
- Departed: SPG
- Airport: SPG, Albert Whitted Municipal, runway 6, 3,702 × 75 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 60; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 18 total, 28 in this make and model, 3 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19970403010059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970403010059A), Apr 3, 1997: Cessna 150G, St Petersburg, FL, Substantial damage. Failed flare landing. Impacted hard on nose gear which tore off. Skidded on nose. Exited runway. Nosed over. (-23) pilot/owner admitted making a nose hard…

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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