Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / LAX86LA133

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event LAX86LA133

1986-03-04 SAN LUIS OBISPO, California, United States Airport · SBP None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

ON MARCH 4, 1986 A CESSNA 152 COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON HIS THIRD CONSECUTIVE SOLO FLIGHT SINCE HIS SOLO ENDORSEMENT. ON HIS THIRD APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ON LANDING AND BECAME AIRBORNE WITH A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. HE APPLIED FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO LEVEL THE NOSE AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE NOSE WHEEL AND BEGAN TO PORPOISE. ON THE THIRD OSCILLATION THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS A NEW CFII WITH LESS THAN 1000 HOURS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WHO HAD JUST RECEIVED HIS RATING THREE MONTHS AGO. HE HAD CHECKED THE WEATHER AND BRIEFED THE STUDENT PILOT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_LAX86LA133.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.