Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a porpoise of the aircraft and nose gear collapse.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot stated that on landing attempt the aircraft landed hard and bounced. The aircraft then began to porpoise until the nose gear collapsed.
Source record
Factual narrative
On April 6, 1994, about 0829 eastern daylight time, N24737, a Cessna 152, landed hard, at Pompano Beach Airport, Pompano Beach, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane is registered to, and operated by Pompano Air Center Inc. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight had originated about 20 minutes earlier. The student pilot was on an attempted full-stop landing when the airplane landed hard on the nose gear, bounced, began to porpoise, then landed on the left wing tip and propeller after the nose gear collapsed. -