Cessna 152 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, September 2, 2003
On September 2, 2003 at about 7:06 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757GL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pontiac, Michigan (Oakland County International 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 inadequate recovery from the bounced landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the variable crosswind, the misjudged flare that resulted in the bounced landing and the subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2003 · about 7:06 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Oakland County International · 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
- N757GL · registry record · serial 15279728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The nose landing gear collapsed during a recovery from a bounced landing. The student pilot reported that he was practicing landings on runway 9L, and upon touchdown during the second landing attempt, the airplane "bounced into the air". The pilot stated the airplane settled back to the runway and the nose landing gear touched down prior to the main landing gear. The pilot reported that the nose landing gear "folded and the aircraft veered to the left edge of the runway and then to the right[,] stopping in the middle of the runway." The student pilot reported his total flight time was 179 hours, of which 52 hours were as pilot-in-command. The pilot had flown 22 hours during the previous 90 days and 14 hours during the previous 30 days. Besides the accident flight, the pilot had not flown during the previous 24 hours. The local winds approximately 13 minutes prior to the accident were 060 degrees true at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. The local winds approximately 26 minutes after the accident were 120 degrees true at 7 knots, winds direction variable between 100 and 160 degrees.
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: 179 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 52 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,032 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 19, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI at 5:20 pm
- Destination: PTK Pontiac MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PTK
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.