Accident Overview
On September 6, 2011, at 1005 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, registration N4649L, experienced a hard landing on runway 26 at Redlands Municipal Airport (REI) in Redlands, California. The aircraft was operated by Accelerated 360 under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The CFI reported that during preparation for the student's first solo flight, she intended to cover ballooning and recovery procedures from a failed landing. After flying for about an hour, she realized this portion had not been addressed. She had the student set up for the maneuver with a fast approach. During the flare, the CFI pitched the nose up higher than normal to simulate a balloon effect. As the airplane began to slow and stall, she instructed the student to perform a go-around. The student applied full throttle, but it took approximately one second for the engine to reach full power. By that time, the airplane had stalled and was left of the runway centerline. The CFI corrected to the right, but the airplane descended rapidly. It struck the ground, causing the nose wheel to snap off, followed by the propeller striking the ground. The airplane remained upright and slid forward to a stop.
Witness Account
A witness on the tarmac reported hearing the airplane and turning toward the runway. He saw the airplane rolling westbound down the runway with all three wheels on the ground. He noted that the airplane did not have enough power to take off but had too much power to have just landed. He continued watching to see if it would attempt another takeoff. The witness stated that the airplane appeared to have a medium power setting. He observed the airplane balloon off the ground at an approximate 45-degree angle, reaching about 50 feet, then dipping back down. The left wing struck the ground, and the airplane bounced, reaching about 30 feet. At that point, the airplane was in a nose-down attitude and impacted the ground adjacent to the runway. The witness went to assist, and as the CFI exited the airplane, she indicated she was at the flight controls at the time of the accident.
Additional Information
The pilot did not complete the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Form 6120.1/2.