- Date
- July 8, 1996, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Puyallup, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8310JCessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960708016529A
- Case key
- 42413
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
improper flare by the pilot during a touch-and-go landing.
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 touch-and-go landing, the pilot allowed the aircraft to descend onto the runway surface at such a rate that the nose wheel failed and the nose gear strut was bent back. He then elected to execute a go-around. During the subsequent landing, the nose gear strut collapsed.
Factual narrative
On July 8, 1996, approximately 1145 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150, N8310J, experienced a nose gear collapse at Pierce County-Thun Field, Puyallup, Washington. The aircraft received substantial damage but the private pilot, the aircraft's sole occupant, was not injured. The local flight out of Puyallup operated under 14 CFR 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport.
While attempting a touch-and-go landing, the pilot allowed the aircraft to descend onto the runway surface impacting on the nose wheel. The airplane hit hard enough that the nose wheel broke off and the nose gear strut was bent back. The private pilot then elected to go around and attempt another landing. On the subsequent landing, the nose gear strut collapsed completely and the aircraft slid to a stop on its nose.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8310J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066210
- Airframe hours
- 5,823
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Avstar Acft Of Wa, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Michael E. Thompson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1996 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- 1S0 · WA
- Destination
- 1S0
- Airport
- 1S0 · Pierce County, runway 34, 3,650 × 60 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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 317 total · 17 in this make and model · 269 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.