Cessna 152 accident near Traverse City, Michigan, January 8, 2003
On January 8, 2003 at about 8:56 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757LE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Traverse City, Michigan (Cherry Capital Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper rerecovery from a bounced landing and his improper flare. Factors were the gusting crosswinds, the misjudged flare and the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2003 · about 8:56 pm local time
- Place
- Traverse City, Michigan · Cherry Capital Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757LE · registry record · serial 15279818
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane bounced upon the third landing attempt, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported he misjudged the flare. After the bounce, he improperly pushed the yoke forward in an attempt to get the airplane landed. The weather reports show that during the previous hour, the wind speed increased from 8 knots to 12 knots gusting to 18 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,563.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 24, 2002; 41.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVC Traverse City MI at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,107 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.07 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from TVC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI03LA050.