No fatalities

28 Apr 2016: CESSNA 152 NO SERIES — San Carlos Flight Center — Hayward, CA

Hayward, CA, United States

On 28 Apr 2016, a CESSNA 152 NO SERIES operated by San Carlos Flight Center was involved in an aviation accident near Hayward, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's high descent rate during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, nose landing gear collapse, and runway excursion during an aborted landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A solo student pilot reported a hard landing that led to porpoising, application of power, nose gear collapse, and runway excursion. Engine mounts were substantially damaged.

Incident Overview

A solo student pilot experienced a hard landing while operating an airplane. According to the pilot's report, the initial touchdown was followed by a porpoising motion. In an attempt to abort the landing, the pilot applied power, but the porpoising continued. Subsequently, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway.

Damage

The engine mounts sustained substantial damage as a result of the incident. No other damage details were provided.

Mechanical Status

The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The aircraft was functioning as expected prior to the hard landing.

Pilot Actions

The pilot, flying solo, attempted to correct the situation by adding power after the initial hard touchdown. Despite this action, the porpoising did not cease, leading to the structural failure of the nose gear and the subsequent runway excursion.

Contributing factors

PilotDescent rate — Not attained/maintained