- Date
- June 10, 2011, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N89439Cessna 152
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- FAA report
- 20110610009809A
- Case key
- 80796
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 inadequate landing flare and improper bounced landing recovery.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was conducting his third solo flight. On approach to the runway the airplane was at 65 knots with 20 degrees of flaps as the pilot began his landing flare at approximately 8-10 feet. According to the pilot, the airplane then appeared to have lost lift and landed hard on the runway. The airplane bounced into the air and traveled approximately 30 feet before descending toward the ground again. The pilot attempted to pull back on the control yoke before it impacted the runway. Although the airplane responded to the input it struck the ground in a nose down attitude, collapsing the nose landing gear strut and wheel into the fuselage, and the aircraft skidded on its nose about 20 yards. The nose wheel landing gear collapsed and there was substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot stated there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was engaged in his third solo flight. On approach to the runway the airplane was at 65 knots with 20 degrees of flaps and he began his landing flare at approximately 8-10 feet. According to the pilot, the airplane then appeared to have lost lift and came down hard on the runway. The airplane bounced into the air and traveled approximately 30 feet before nosing towards the ground again. The pilot attempted to pull back on the yoke of the aircraft before it impacted the runway. Although the airplane responded to the input it still struck the ground in a nose down attitude, collapsing the nose landing gear strut and wheel into the fuselage, and the aircraft skidded on its nose about 20 yards. The nose wheel gear was collapsed and there was substantial damage to the front left of the fuselage, the firewall, and the propeller. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89439
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282748
- Airframe hours
- 4,725
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2010 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- IDA · idaho Falls, ID
- Destination
- IDA · idaho Falls, ID
- Airport
- IDA · Idaho Falls, runway 17, 4,051 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 56 total · 56 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- IDA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 607 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.