Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The airplane landed hard and then bounced on the nose gear several times until the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft then skidded off the runway and nosed over. A small post crash fire occurred in the engine compartment.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 11, 1994, about 1725 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N46140, registered to Aerial Ads, Inc., landed hard and nosed over at Gainesville Regional Airport, Gainesville, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated at Gainesville, Florida, on June 11, 1994, about 1715. The student pilot stated she was performing the second landing of her first supervised solo flight. As she flared for landing she flared too much. The aircraft climbed, lost airspeed, descended, and landed hard. The aircraft bounced and landed on the nose gear several times until it collapsed. After the nose gear collapsed the aircraft slid off the runway and nosed over in the dirt. A small post crash fire occurred in the engine compartment. -