Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the solo student pilot misjudged the landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was low airspeed.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On June 28, 1996, at 1815 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N68459, collapsed the nose gear during landing on runway 14 at the Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, California. The airplane was being operated by Aero Venture, Petaluma, California, as an instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated in Petaluma about 1700 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The winds were from 230 degrees at 10 knots.
The pilot indicated on his accident report that he let his airspeed get "too low" and "flared too high." The airplane landed hard and bounced. On the second touchdown the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway and came to rest in a grassy area adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX96LA251