# NTSB NYC03CA192: Cessna 152, N4725B, Franklin, VA, September 7, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: September 7, 2003, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC) - Place: Franklin, VA - Coordinates: 36.698055, -76.90361 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6981&lon=-76.9036&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Richmond - NTSB case key (mKey): 57881 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC03CA192 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57881/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03CA192 ## Probable cause The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis The student pilot was landing on a 4,977-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. He stated that everything appeared to progress normally until the point of the flare. At that time, the airplane ballooned and he pushed the nose of the airplane down. The nose wheel struck the runway and collapsed. The student pilot further stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He added that the windsock registered little, if any wind. ## Factual narrative On September 7, 2003, about 1345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N4725B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Franklin Municipal Airport (FKN), Franklin, Virginia. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed the Chesterfield County Airport (FCI), Richmond, Virginia. The solo instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot stated that he was landing on runway 9, a 4,977-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. He further stated: "...Everything appeared to progress normally until the point of the flare. The aircraft ballooned at which time I intended to relieved the backpressure to control the balloon. It would appear that I over corrected for the ballooning and pushed the nose of the aircraft down somewhat. The nose wheel hit the runway harder than it could tolerate and collapsed. At that time, the front of the aircraft hit the runway and the aircraft skidded to a stop...." The student pilot said he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He added that the windsock registered little, if any wind. The student pilot reported 53 hours of total flight experience, which included about 7 hours as pilot-in-command, ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4725B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4725B-2012-11-27), registration cancelled 2012-11-27, S/N 15283599, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 152 - Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15283599 - Airframe hours: 10566 - Engines: Lycoming O-235-N2C 108 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Dominion Aviation Services Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, June 30, 2003, 96 hours before - Departed: RIC, Richmond, VA - Destination: FKN, Franklin, VA - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: FKN, Franklin Muni-John Beverly Ros, runway 9, 4,977 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 46; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 53 total, 52 in this make and model, 7 as pilot in command, 53 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: FKN ## 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 20030907030269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030907030269A), Sep 7, 2003: Cessna 152, Franklin, VA, Substantial damage. (-23) While landing on runway 9 at the Franklin, Virginia airport (fkn), aircraft N4725B, a Cessna 152, became nose down, the right wing scraped, and the nose… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.