Cessna 152 accident near Shirley, New York, July 27, 2010
On July 27, 2010 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757ZN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Shirley, New York (Brookhaven Airport). It was a personal 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 recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2010 · about 1:40 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Shirley, New York · Brookhaven Airport · cases near this 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
- N757ZN · registry record · serial 15280135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, the accident flight was her first solo flight. As the airplane approached runway 33 for a third landing, the student pilot maintained an airspeed of 60 knots and was concentrating on "getting the nose in the correct position." When the airplane first touched down, "it bounced" and "the nose went up enough to slow [the airplane] down to put it into a stall." When the airplane landed a second time, the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller struck the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. During a subsequent examination of wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector also found no preexisting anomalies with the airplane. The student pilot noted that her total flight experience was approximately 56 hours; all of which were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were variable at 6 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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 19, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mid Island Airservice INC
The flight
- Departed from: HWV Shirley NY at 4:30 pm
- Destination: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,222 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from HWV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 5, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Student Pilot and CFI Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Discrepancy Logs: No Entries from N757ZN | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports: Hwv Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1 - Airplane Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N757ZN on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES 6,132 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Brookhaven Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,659 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10CA380.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.