- Date
- July 17, 1991, 15:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Walla Walla, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N48965Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910717027919A
- Case key
- 41487
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 poor compensation for wind conditions. Factors were downdrafts and the student pilots lack of experience in this type of operation.
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
While attempting a solo touch-and-go, the student pilot encountered a downdraft, just prior to beginning the flare to land. She was unable to overcome the excessive sink rate prior to landing hard, short of the runway threshold.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48965
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281077
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Walla Walla College
- Registered owner
- Walla Walla College
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ALW · Walla Walla, runway 2, 7,186 × 150 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
- 20
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 24 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N48965 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.