Cessna 152 accident near Houston, Texas, May 9, 2002
On May 9, 2002 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48819, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (West Houston 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 recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2002 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston · 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
- N48819 · no longer on the register · serial 15280981
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
With a flight instructor on board, the student pilot demonstrated four touch-and-go landings on runway 15, and one approach that was followed by a go-around. The flight instructor reported that the wind was "straight down the runway at 7 knots." The instructor exited the airplane so that the student pilot could solo the airplane in the traffic pattern. This was the student's fifth solo flight. The student pilot performed the first touch-and-go landing without incident. During the second approach, while on short final, she noted that her airspeed was "around 80 knots, which was too high." She attempted to slow the airplane; however, due to "gusty winds on short final, [she] panicked." The student reported that the airplane was "near the runway" when the airplane encountered a downdraft, which "caused [it] to slam onto the runway" with both main landing gear. The airplane bounced two times, during which the nose landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane exited the right side of the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. A weather observation facility 23 miles southeast of the accident site reported the wind from 190 degrees at 15 knots near the time of the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYQ Houston TX at 4:00 pm
- Destination: EYQ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,953 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HOU, 23 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N48819 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.