Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The certified flight instructor's improper in-flight decision to continue the landing attempt and not perform a go-around, her failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and her failure to apply proper remedial action. A contributing factor was the presence of a dirt bank at the end of the runway.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On February 25, 1997, at 1608 Pacific standard time, N48965, a Cessna 152, operated by Walla Walla College, nosed over during landing rollout at Martin Field in College Place, Washington, and was substantially damaged. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The instructional flight departed from Walla Walla about 1530 and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
According to the CFI:
My student and I came onto final at Martin Field, a little high. We slipped the plane down to the runway and then floated a ways. By the time we realized there wasn't enough room to land, I wasn't sure we'd be able to go around. We stuck to our "game plan". As soon as the wheels touched, the brakes were applied hard. We slowed down quite a bit by the time we came to the end of the runway, but we still ran off the end of it and into a farmers field.
According to local authorities, the airplane overran the runway, continued onto soft terrain, impacted a dirt berm, nosed over, flipped inverted, and was substantially damaged. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA97LA066