CHI02LA107

Factual narrative

On April 16, 2002, at 0855 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N752AA, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage while landing on runway 10 (2,796 feet by 60 feet, dry/asphalt) at the Maple Lake Municipal Airport, Maple Lake, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The solo instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight departed the Lake Elmo Airport, Lake Elmo, Minnesota, at 0800. According to the student pilot's written statement, while on approach to the runway at approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl) the airplane encountered "windshear." The pilot reported, "Main gear hit runway hard, plane bounced three times - third time in grass [left] of runway, nose gear failed, aircraft went up on nose, fell bank on main gear." The student pilot reported he had a total flight time of 51.2 hours, of which 12.0 hours were as pilot-in-command. The student pilot reported he had flown 37 hours in the last 90 days, all of which were in the Cessna 152. The student pilot stated he had flown 4.4 hours in the last 30 days and 0.5 hour during the last 24 hours. A weather observation station located at the Maple Lake Municipal Airport (MGG) recorded the weather approximately one minute prior to the accident as: Observation Time: 0854 cdt Wind: 180 degrees magnetic at 15 knots Visibility: 10 statute miles Sky Condition: Broken clouds at 2,200 feet agl Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius Dew Point: 18 degrees Celsius Pressure: 29.51 inches of mercury The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The student pilot reported that while on approach to the runway, at approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane encountered "windshear." The student pilot stated, "Main gear hit runway hard, plane bounced three times - third time in grass [left] of runway, nose gear failed, aircraft went up on nose, fell bank on main gear." The student pilot was attempting to land on runway 10 and the wind at the time of the accident was recorded as 180-degrees magnetic at 15 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12