SALT LAKE CITY, UT, USA
N4713Q
Cessna 152
A witness observed the airplane a few seconds before it touched down on runway 32. (According to him), the airplane appeared to be in a steep descent, and it hit the runway hard. It bounced about 10 to 15 feet up in the air and came back down, remaining on the ground and rolling forward. To the witness, the airplane appeared to be somewhat nose down, and it rolled a distance before nosing over. The student pilot, who was flying solo, stated that he was cautioned about wake turbulence when he was cleared to land. Radar data showed a Learjet had landed on runway 35, which had a crossing approach path, about 1 minute and 14 seconds before the accident aircraft. (Runway 32 and 35 intersected at the approach ends.) The student pilot said that before landing, the airplane ballooned very slightly, and he re-flared again, then he '. . . was suddenly and very violently blown almost directly sideways . . .' Winds were from 360 degrees at 10 knots before his landing clearance. The student reported that he had 52.9 hours of total time, including 13.1 hours solo time.
On November 20, 1996, at 1403 mountain standard time, a Cessna 152, N4713Q, departed the runway surface and subsequently nosed over during landing on runway 32 at Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah. The airplane was substantially damaged but the student pilot, the aircraft's sole occupant, was not injured. The 14 CFR 91 solo cross-country flight had originated at Tooele Valley Airport, Tooele, Utah and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The ELT activated, but did not assist in locating the wreckage. The student pilot stated that he was cautioned about wake turbulence and cleared to land after complying with an ATC request for a 360 degree turn. He stated that his approach to the runway was normal, with full flaps and a small crosswind correction. He said it was a "very well controlled approach and nothing out of the ordinary happened until just after I had flared to land. My speed was a little high and I ballooned very slightly and re-flared...again, nothing at all extraordinary. I was awaiting the touchdown, and the stall warning was sounding as I was right at the point of contact with the runway when I was suddenly and very violently blown almost directly sideways (to the left) with such force that I was over the extreme left edge of the runway (150 ' wide runway) before I realized what had happened. The aircraft was still in a stalled attitude and whatever had pushed me off the runway had also lifted the airplane higher, about six feet, judging from the feel of the drop that occurred at that moment. The airplane struck the runway with great impact, causing the nose to dip strongly and the prop to strike the ground, bending it and stopping the engine." A witness observed the airplane a few seconds before it touched down on runway 32. It appeared to be in a steep descent and hit the runway hard. It bounced about 10-15 feet up in the air and came back down, remaining on the ground and rolling forward. To the witness, it appeared to be somewhat nose down, and rolled a distance before nosing over. The pilot stated that winds were 360 degrees at 10 knots prior to his landing clearance. He stated that he believed the accident occurred because of wake turbulence from a departing Boeing 757 (B-757) aircraft. The ATC specialist who issued the landing clearance stated that he "issued N4713Q a landing clearance for runway 32 with a wake turbulence cautionary advisory due to a Lear Jet (N45BK) landing on runway 35 ahead of him." Runway 35's south end forms an apex with the southeast end of runway 32. ATC radar data showed the Learjet at X/Y radar coordinates 0.75/-2.12 at 4,200 feet (field elevation is 4,227 feet above mean sea level) at 1401:40, with the Cessna at the same radar coordinates and altitude at 1402:54, 1 minute and 14 seconds later. On a recording of the ATC tower frequency, 2 minutes and 10 seconds elapsed between the time the tower controller issued landing clearance to N4713Q with a wake turbulence advisory for "a Learjet on one mile final" to runway 35, and the initiation of an ELT signal. The ATC tower frequency recording contained no evidence of any B-757 aircraft operating to or from runway 35 for at least 6 minutes immediately prior to the accident. ATC radar data showed the accident aircraft on a heading of 318 degrees (runway 32's approximate heading) at 59 knots and 4,200 feet altitude at 1403:03. The aircraft radar target went into "coast" mode from 1403:08 to 1403:12. At 1403:17, the aircraft's heading, speed and altitude was given as 315 degrees at 51 knots, at 4,200 feet. The aircraft's radar position X/Y coordinates did not register any further change after 1403:17. According to the 1980 Cessna 152 pilot's operating handbook, the flaps-down, power-off stall speed of the aircraft is 43 knots calibrated airspeed (47 knots true airspeed at Salt Lake's density altitude of approximately 5,500 feet at the time of the accident.) Photos taken at the accident site by an FAA investigator showed the aircraft's flaps extended. According to the student pilot's report on the accident, he had 52.9 hours total time at the time of the accident, with 13.1 hours of pilot-in-command time.
the student pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which allowed his aircraft to encounter wake turbulence from a Lear Jet, and/or the student allowed the aircraft to stall. The crosswind component from the quartering headwind was a possible factor.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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