Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 152 N918U

23 March 2016 · Valparaiso, Indiana, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 23 March 2016 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N918U, operated by Griffith Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 15:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
Nearest airport
Porter County Rgnl (VPZ)
Coordinates
41.4536, -87.0069
Aircraft
Cessna 152
Registration
N918U
Category
Airplane
Year built
1981
Engines
1
Operator
Griffith Aviation Inc.
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Valparaiso → Valparaiso
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
GAA16CA159

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise and substantial damage to the firewall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that during the landing flare the airplane ballooned, and upon touchdown the nose gear touched down first. He further reported that the airplane porpoised. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. According to the student pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 152 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Aug 2016 Cessna 152
N631TK
Belle Plaine, Minnesota, United States Inflight Holdings LLC. No injuries -
8 Jul 2016 Cessna 152
N5331B
Bridgeport, Texas, United States - No injuries -
21 Aug 2016 Cessna 152
N94939
Miami, Florida, United States - No injuries -
1 Jul 2016 Cessna 152G
N4916B
Augusta, Maine, United States University Flying Club No injuries -
29 Jan 2016 Cessna 152
N5101P
Durant, Oklahoma, United States Riverside Flight Center No injuries -
12 Feb 2016 Cessna 152
N47259
Shirley, New York, United States Mars Aerospace Inc. No injuries -

All 3,030 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
25 Aug 2016 Cessna 172N
N17SK
Terre Haute, Indiana, United States - Fatal 1
12 Oct 2016 Luscombe 8
N39083
Huntingburg, Indiana, United States - Minor injuries -
13 Jun 2016 Cessna 150F
N102DK
Rockville, Indiana, United States - Fatal 2
21 Apr 2016 Cessna 162
N5217S
Zionsville, Indiana, United States Montgomery Aviaiton Minor injuries -
12 Jun 2016 Luscombe 8
N2850K
Valparaiso, Indiana, United States - No injuries -
25 Aug 2016 Cessna 140
N2614N
Lebanon, Indiana, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States