Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing and to arrest porpoising after an improper recovery from a bounced landing. Factors in the accident were the misjudging of distance and speed during a downwind landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While on a solo cross-country flight, the student pilot made a steep approach to his destination runway. The runway chosen by the pilot had a 10-knot tailwind for the landing and he had extended the aircraft's flaps 10 degrees. The aircraft touched down about 1,200 feet from the end of the 5,304-foot-long runway and bounced twice before veering off the runway. Marks in the dirt indicated that the aircraft then porpoised three more times before the nose wheel collapsed and the aircraft nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 31, 1997, at 0950 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N65273, veered off runway 32, struck a distance remaining marker, and came to rest inverted at the Imperial County Airport, Imperial, California. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the solo (instructional) cross-country flight. Witnesses reported to an inspector from the San Diego Flight Standards District Office that the aircraft landed downwind on runway 32 with 10 degrees of flaps extended. The reported surface winds were from 140 degrees at 10 knots. Runway 32 is 5,304 feet long and 100 feet wide. The aircraft came to rest approximately 20 feet left of the runway shoulder and 1,000 feet from the departure end. The same inspector stated that ground scars indicated that the aircraft porpoised at least three times after veering off the runway. The first mark, about 20 feet long, showed the right main and nose landing gear wheels in the dirt. The second mark, about 40 feet long, showed all three landing gear and ended where the nose wheel dug into the dirt. Pieces of the nose wheel fairing were nearby. The third mark, about 50 feet long, started with the two main landing gear and a trough made by the nose of the aircraft in between them. Approximately 20 feet from the end of the mark, the main landing gear marks ceased and only the nose trough mark continued. This mark ended at the location where the aircraft came to rest inverted. Approximately 10 feet from the end of the third mark the upper surface of the aircraft's left wing impacted the 1,000-foot remaining runway distance marker and dislodged it from its mount. In his report the pilot reported that the approach was "apparently" too steep and that he bounced on the landing. He reported that his intent was to go around if he bounced a second time, however, on the second bounce he heard a "metallic thunk" and decided against going around with a potentially damaged aircraft. Despite his attempt to regain control, the aircraft then veered left off the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. -