# NTSB WPR10CA159: Cessna 182P, N52630, Long Beach, CA, March 13, 2010

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: March 12, 2010, 16:45 local (Mar 13, 2010, 00:45 UTC)
- Place: Long Beach, CA
- Coordinates: 33.817779, -118.151664 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8178&lon=-118.1517&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report July 1, 2010
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 75504
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR10CA159
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75504/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75504
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10CA159

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight was the student pilot’s first supervised solo flight. The takeoff, crosswind, and downwind legs of the flight appeared to be normal and well controlled. The approach seemed normal with an attitude appropriate for landing. The student turned into the final leg with the flaps set to 30 degrees and with the airspeed at 85 knots. He felt that he was a little high, so he set the flaps to 40 degrees. He adjusted power and attitude to maintain airspeed. He thought that the approach was stabilized and he shifted his gaze forward and reduced power as he passed over the runway end. He thought that he leveled a little high, and landed flat. The airplane bounced hard enough to dislodge his glasses. He raised the nose, the airplane bounced again, and then landed nose-down on the runway. The student's instructor was observing the landing and thought that the flare was a little high, with the airplane touching down main-wheels-first, with the nose slightly up. The nosewheel then quickly hit the ground and the airplane bounced 2 to 3 feet. The airplane touched down again in a flat or slightly nose down attitude and bounced again. It came down in about a 20-degree nose-low attitude on the third and final touchdown and the propeller hit first. The nosewheel and strut folded backwards under the cowling and the firewall buckled. The airplane came to rest with the tail up and the engine stopped.

## Factual narrative

The flight was the student pilot’s first supervised solo flight. The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that the student had consistently displayed the ability to fly the closed traffic on previous flights. The student flew the pattern once without any control inputs or corrections by the CFI. The CFI and student’s son exited the airplane. The takeoff, crosswind, and downwind appeared normal and well controlled. The approach seemed normal with a nose attitude appropriate for landing. The student turned final with the flaps set to 30 degrees and airspeed at 85 knots. He felt that he was a little high, so he set the flaps to 40 degrees. He adjusted power and attitude to maintain airspeed. He thought that the approach was stabilized; he shifted his gaze forward and reduced power as he passed over the runway. He thought that he leveled a little high, and landed flat. The airplane bounced hard enough to dislodge his glasses. He raised the nose, bounced again, and landed nose down on the runway. He turned the fuel selector valve off, switched the master switch off, and exited the airplane unassisted without injury. The CFI thought that the flare was a little high; the airplane touched down main wheels first with the nose slightly up. The nose wheel then quickly followed, and the airplane bounced 2 to 3 feet. The airplane touched down again in a flat or slightly nose down attitude, simultaneously encountered a gust of wind, and bounced again. It came down in about a 20-degree nose low attitude on the third and final touchdown; the propeller and spinner hit first. The nose wheel and strut folded backwards under the cowling, and the firewall buckled. The airplane came to rest with the tail up and the engine stopped.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N52630 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 18262727
- Engines: Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: N52630, LLC
- Registered owner: N52630, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: LGB, Long Beach, CA
- Destination: LGB, Long Beach, CA
- Airport: LGB, Long Beach, runway 25R, 6,192 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 40; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 23 total, 23 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observed at: KLGB

## 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 20100312029739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100312029739A), Mar 12, 2010: Cessna 182P, Long Beach, CA, Substantial damage. On March 12, 2010, at 1651 local time, a Cessna 182P, N52630, registered to N52630 LLC nosed over during landing on runway 25R at Long Beach airport, Long…

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 7, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75504. 608 KB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 608 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40328016&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF

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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