Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On February 28, 1998, at 1500 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N25275, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local, solo, instructional flight originated at Warrenton, Virginia, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that during touchdown on runway 32, the airplane bounced three times. He said that each bounce was more severe than the other, and then the nose contacted the runway.
According to the pilot, he had practiced touch and go landings earlier for about 1.5 hours with his instructor, in preparation for his supervised solo. This was his first landing, and he reported over 27 hours of total flight experience, all in make and model.
The pilot reported that the weather was not a factor, and there was no mechanical malfunction 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# IAD98LA033