FTW00LA089

Factual narrative

On February 29, 2000, at 1825 central standard time, a Cessna 152, single-engine airplane, N48821, struck a railroad track and terrain during an aborted landing near Fort Worth, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by Split S Aviation of Fort Worth, Texas, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The student pilot, sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from Hicks Airfield Airport, Fort Worth, Texas, for a series of touch and go landings. The pilot reported that, during the turn from a right base to final approach for runway 32, he overshot the runway and corrected the ground track back to the left. During the landing/flare touchdown, the airplane touched down on the right main landing gear, bounced to the left main landing gear, and turned 45 degrees to the runway. The pilot added full power, and the aircraft started to climb; however, the left wing struck a tree. Subsequently, the airplane spun around, the left wing hit a railroad track, and the nose landing gear dug into the terrain. The airplane slid down the railroad track before jumping off the track and coming to rest 60 feet west of the runway centerline. Winds were from 300 degrees at 6 knots. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site, found the engine mounts and firewall damaged. The left wing was buckled with the upper cabin area wrinkled and buckled. The aft fuselage was split and buckled. The nose landing gear and engine cowling were damaged. During the landing on runway 32, the airplane touched down on the right main landing gear, bounced to the left main landing gear, and turned 45 degrees to the left. The solo student pilot added full power to abort the landing, and the aircraft started to climb; however, the left wing struck a tree. Subsequently, the airplane spun around, the left wing hit a railroad track, and the nose landing gear dug into the terrain. The airplane slid down the railroad track before exiting the track and coming to rest 60 feet west of the runway centerline. The student pilot was endorsed for solo flight, and he had accumulated a total flight time of 29 hours in the make and model aircraft. Wind was from 300 degrees at 6 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12