Event FTW99LA144

Factual narrative

On May 22, 1999, at 0835 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N4850B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Slidell Airport, Slidell, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to and operated by Slidell Aviation Services Inc., of Slidell, Louisiana. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from Slidell at 0800. According to the 26-hour student pilot and her instructor, prior to her first solo flight, the student pilot had executed "three perfect landings dual." The flight instructor then exited the airplane, and the student pilot taxied the airplane to runway 36 for her first solo flight. The student pilot performed two landings without incident. During the third landing, the airplane contacted the runway "nose wheel first and ballooned." The airplane porpoised approximately four times, and the nose landing gear separated from the airframe. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left of the centerline and "flipped over," coming to rest inverted. The student pilot and her instructor reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was calm and the visibility was greater than 10 miles. An FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the site, stated that the vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer were structurally damaged. The fire wall was wrinkled and an engine mount was separated. Additionally, he confirmed that the nose landing gear separated from the airplane. The student pilot was executing her third solo landing when the airplane's nose wheel contacted the runway surface first. The airplane porpoised approximately four times, and the nose landing gear separated from the airframe. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left of the centerline and nosed over. The student pilot reported that at the time of the accident the winds were calm and the visibility was greater than 10 miles. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12