N5463L

On October 18, 1996, at 1830 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N5463L, was destroyed while landing near Clinton, Arkansas. The airplane, owned and operated by a private owner, was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed from the Clinton Municipal Airport in Clinton, Arkansas, approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident.

Witnesses at the airport reported that the airplane was executing touch and go landings on runway 31. The witnesses added that on the flight's third landing, the airplane landed hard and bounced twice. According to the pilot, on the second bounce, the airplane touched down on the left main tire, bouncing the airplane to the left. Witnesses stated that the airplane assumed a nose high attitude as full power was heard being applied to abort the landing. Witnesses stated that the flaps remained extended as the airplane "hung on its prop as it labored to stay airborne at approximately 100 feet off the ground."

The airplane drifted to the left of the runway centerline and headed towards a red barn and a line of tall trees at the departure end of the runway. On the enclosed NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that "with the flaps down, I could not gain the airspeed or altitude need[ed] to get over a line of trees in front of the aircraft." The pilot added that the left wing impacted the ground as he attempted to maneuver to avoid the obstacles.

The pilot told local law enforcement officers who responded to the accident that "he elected to nose the airplane over and land on the field short of the trees to avoid crashing into the trees."