STOW, OH, USA
N95435
Cessna 152
The flight instructor was flying with a student that she had not previously flown with. At the termination of the flight, she talked the student pilot through a short field landing. The approach started out high and power was reduced. The flight instructor reported that as the airplane passed through 50 to 100 feet above the runway, she realized the sink rate was excessive and took control of the airplane. She was unable to arrest the sink rate prior to touchdown, and the airplane bounced multiple times on the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the firewall was bent.
On July 7, 1999, about 1335 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N95435, was substantially damaged while landing at Kent State University Airport (1G3), Stow, Ohio. The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the dual instructional flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed from 1G3, and was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. According to interviews with inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Kent State University personnel, the flight instructor had not previously flown with the student pilot and was filling in for another flight instructor. The flight departed 1G3 about 1250, and proceeded to the practice area. At the completion of the practice session, the flight returned to 1G3 for landing. The flight instructor asked the student pilot if she had previously performed a short field landing over an obstacle. The student pilot replied that she had, but it had been a while. The flight instructor proceeded to talk the student pilot through the approach. The flight instructor stated: "...We were approximately 1600 feet mean sea level and level flight and 54 knots approximately one mile from the taxiway threshold. At this point I instructed...[the student pilot] to reduce the power to increase our rate of descent. This achieved a descent rate, which was still not sufficient enough to bring us down to the taxiway for landing. At that point I instructed...[the student pilot] to reduce the power to idle, an action that would greatly increase our descent rate. As we neared the runway threshold, [the student pilot]...added a small amount of power to arrest our rate of descent; consequently, the correct airspeed of 54 knots was maintained throughout the final approach leg of the traffic pattern. Approximately fifty to one hundred feet above the runway, I realized that the aircraft's rate of descent was still too great, and that...[the student pilot] was not adding any more power to arrest this rate of descent. I called for control of the aircraft at this point, which was still too late. We impacted the taxiway, and bounced three times in a 'porpoising' manner before sliding off to the right side of the taxiway and coming to a stop. I yelled at...[the student pilot] to evacuate the aircraft...We both ran up the taxiway a significant distance...." The student pilot stated: "...On approach to landing while executing a short field obstructed landing, the instructor advised the student to lower the nose of the aircraft in order to gain airspeed. An abnormally high sink rate was encountered, at which time the instructor took control the aircraft. The sink rate lessened but not before a hard landing caused a bounce. The aircraft entered a porpoising action. After three such bounces the aircraft propeller struck the ground and the aircraft departed the east side of the taxiway, collapsing the nose gear...." Runway 1/19, which was 4,000 feet long and 60 feet wide, was closed for repairs. A notice to airmen (NOTAM) had been issued, and flight operations were being conducted on the adjacent parallel taxiway, which was 2,900 feet long, 40 feet wide, and located to the left side of the runway. A check of the Cessna 152 flight manual revealed that the recommended speed for a short field approach over an obstacle was 54 KIAS.
Was the failure of the flight instructor to recognize the high sink rate and apply corrective action in a timely manner.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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