No fatalities

2 Jan 2008: Cessna 152 — Colorado Contrails — Loveland, CO

Loveland, CO, United States

On 2 Jan 2008, a Cessna 152 operated by Colorado Contrails was involved in an aviation accident near Loveland, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot flared too early, causing the airplane to balloon and impact the runway. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During her first solo flight, a student pilot flared too early, ballooned, and impacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side and slid into snow, resulting in bent wing spars and a bent propeller.

Accident Summary

A student pilot on her first solo flight was conducting a landing on runway 15, which is 8,500 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. According to the pilot, she flared too early, causing the airplane to balloon. It then impacted the runway. At the time of impact, the airplane was not aligned with the centerline and subsequently departed the runway to the left. The airplane slid into the snow.

Pilot Report

The student pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane or any of its systems during the flight. She indicated that the event occurred during the landing phase, specifically during the flare.

Postaccident Examination

A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both wing spars were bent upward and the propeller was bent. No other damage was mentioned in the report.

Cause of Accident

The student pilot attributed the accident to flaring too early, which resulted in a balloon and subsequent hard impact with the runway.

Probable cause

The student pilot flared too early, causing the airplane to balloon and impact the runway.

Contributing factors

Causes

Landing flarePerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Snow/ice