N856ER

On October 23, 2004, at 1348 mountain standard time, a Cessna 152 single engine airplane, N856ER, veered off the runway and collapsed the nose landing gear during a touch-and-go takeoff at Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, Eagle's Roost Aviation, Mesa, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a solo instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the local flight that originated approximately 1330.

According to the student pilot, he was on his initial solo flight conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the last takeoff from runway 22R, the student pilot applied full throttle. The airplane started to drift to the left side of the runway. The pilot applied right rudder to compensate, but the airplane continued drifting to the left. He added brake pressure, which only resulted in the airplane nosing down after it left the runway surface. According to first responders, the nose wheel was torn from the airplane and came to rest 30 feet from the airplane's final resting place. The cowling was crushed and compressed, and the firewall sustained damage.

The wind at the time of the accident was from 170 degrees at 8 knots.

The pilot accumulated a total of 32.2 hours of flight time at the time of the accident. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB 6120.1/2), under the section titled "Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented)," the pilot wrote that he needed "to apply the right rudder in preparation for full-throttle to maintain control of the airplane."