N4957A

On October 2, 1997, at 1045 central daylight time, a Cessna A152 airplane, N4957A, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing near Rockwall, Texas. The solo student pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by a private owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the solo instructional flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the Rockwall Municipal Airport at approximately 0930.

The operator reported that the 63 hour student pilot was endorsed for a solo round-robin flight (12 nautical miles each way) from the Rockwall Municipal Airport, to Mesquite, Texas, where she was cleared to practice takeoffs and landings. The student pilot completed two landings at the Mesquite Airport and departed the traffic pattern to return to Rockwall.

The student pilot told the FAA inspector that during her approach to runway 16 at the Rockwall Airport, she "got too low on final as she encountered turbulence from the hangars located at the northwest corner of the airport." In her enclosed written statement, the student pilot stated that "while flaring over the numbers, the winds gusted and the airplane touched down with the right wheel to the left side of the runway and bounced."

The student pilot stated that that after losing control of the airplane, she applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing. She further stated that the airplane managed to get airborne at an indicated airspeed of 40 to 50 knots; however, the main landing gear impacted the top strand of barbed wire from the airport's perimeter fence with the landing gear. The airplane nosed over after impacting the fence and the airplane came to rest in the inverted position.

The operator reported that the winds at the airport at the time of the accident were from 180 degrees at 7 knots.

Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector that traveled to the accident site disclosed that the engine firewall, vertical stabilizer and the fuselage (at the right wing attaching point) sustained structural damage.