Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot misjudged the landing flare. Factors related to the accident were the dark light conditions and the pilot's lack of visual cues for the runway environment.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On April 6, 1995, about 2130 eastern standard time (EST), a Cessna 152, N757UV, operated by Glenndale Air Service of Kokomo, Indiana, experienced a hard landing, bounced, and landed nose first. The airplane was substantially damaged; the private pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, weather was clear with calm winds, and no flight plan was filed.
The flight originated at the Glenndale Airport (8I3), Kokomo, Indiana, at 2000 EST, as a night pleasure flight. The flight had progressed to Marion, Indiana, then Wabash, Indiana, and was terminating back at Glenndale when the accident occurred. The runway is a 2048 foot by 110 foot, north-south, grass strip, with low intensity runway edge lights. The threshold is displaced 300 feet due to obstructions. The pilot described the runway and airport as "a dark hole."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI95LA118