Casualties unknown

2003-09-02: Cessna 152 (N757GL) — Pontiac, MI

Pontiac, MI, US

On September 2, 2003, a Cessna 152 (registration N757GL) was involved in an aviation accident near Pontiac, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's inadequate recovery from the bounced landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the variable crosswind, the misjudged flare that resulted in the bounced landing and the subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot reported that the nose landing gear of an airplane collapsed during a bounced landing recovery on runway 9L, causing the aircraft to veer and stop on the runway.

Incident Details

A student pilot was practicing landings on runway 9L when, during the second landing attempt, the airplane bounced into the air upon touchdown. The pilot stated that as the airplane settled back to the runway, the nose landing gear touched down before the main landing gear. Subsequently, the nose landing gear folded, and the aircraft veered to the left edge of the runway and then to the right, coming to a stop in the middle of the runway.

Pilot Information

The student pilot reported a total flight time of 179 hours, with 52 hours as pilot-in-command. In the previous 90 days, the pilot had flown 22 hours, and 14 hours in the previous 30 days. The pilot had not flown in the 24 hours prior to the accident flight, aside from the accident flight itself.

Weather Conditions

Local winds approximately 13 minutes before the accident were from 060 degrees true at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. Approximately 26 minutes after the accident, winds were from 120 degrees true at 7 knots, with direction variable between 100 and 160 degrees.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20030905X01468. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.