- Date
- January 12, 1997, 10:21 local (15:21 UTC)
- Place
- Marlboro, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N48693Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970112047369A
- Case key
- 39319
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 pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the nose gear. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's failure to perform a go-around.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot landed hard and the nose gear collapsed. According to a witness the airplane touched down and bounced 10 feet into the air. The aircraft then pitched down and hit on the nose, and bounced again, but only about 5 feet up this time. The aircraft again pitched nose down and hit the pavement. On this contact, the nose gear broke off, and the (airplane) skidded on its nose for about 50 feet and came to rest. According to the student pilot, his approach speed was 65 knots, and about 20 feet above the runway, he reduced power to idle. The aircraft subsequently 'settled fast' and bounced. He unsuccessfully tried to recover, indicating that he 'got rigid on (the) control wheel position.' The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented by doing a go-around.
Factual narrative
On January 12, 1997 about 1021 eastern standard time, N48693, a Cessna 152, was substantially damaged when the nose gear collapsed during a hard landing on runway 27at Marlboro Airport, Marlboro, New Jersey. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan was filed. The student pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The local training flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
A witness saw the airplane takeoff, remain in the traffic pattern and then return to land. According to the witness; "...I noticed that he came in a little fast, but the aircraft appeared to be under control at this , time: wings level and no over-controlling. He touched down on the two numbers, and bounced 10 feet into the air. The aircraft then pitched down and hit on the nose, and bounced again, but only about 5 feet up this time. The aircraft again pitched nose down and hit the pavement. On this contact, the nose gear broke off, and the (airplane) skidded on its nose for about 50 feet and came to rest . The aircraft came to rest about midway down the runway."
According to the student pilot, his approach speed was 65 knots, and about 20 feet above the runway, he reduced power to idle. The aircraft subsequently "settled fast" and bounced. He unsuccessfully tried to recover, indicating that he "got rigid on (the) control wheel position" The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented by doing a go-around.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48693
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283362
- Airframe hours
- 6,792
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Marlboro Aviation Enterprise
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 15, 1996 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- 2N8
- Airport
- 2N8 · Marlboro, runway 27, 2,156 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °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.
Other investigations on N48693 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.