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WPR15CA068

2014-11-15 · Santa Rosa, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport STS

Current FAA registration · N5216N

Make / Model
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162
Year of manufacture
2011 · 3 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-200 (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20110329
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A68FDC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent nose gear collapse.

Factual narrative

During an initial solo flight, the student pilot was conducting a series of three takeoff and landings. During the second landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, and landed on the nose wheel landing gear, which resulted in the nose gear collapsing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose wheel landing gear was compressed upward and aft into the firewall and fuselage structure. The student pilot reported that at the time of the accident, no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures existed that would of precluded normal operation of the airplane. During an initial solo flight, the student pilot was conducting a series of three takeoff and landings. During the second landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, and landed on the nose wheel landing gear, which resulted in the nose gear collapsing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose wheel landing gear was compressed upward and aft into the firewall and fuselage structure. The student pilot reported that at the time of the accident, no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures existed that would of precluded normal operation of the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_WPR15CA068.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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