Cessna 152 accident near College Station, Texas, May 8, 1997
On May 8, 1997 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N93124, was substantially damaged in an accident near College Station, Texas (Easterwood Field). 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 pilot's loss of control due to delayed landing flare. A factor was the porpoise encountered during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1997 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- College Station, Texas · Easterwood Field
- 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
- N93124 · registry record · serial 15285409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that this was her second supervised solo. She stated that she 'set up a normal approach to land and she touched down on all three wheels.' She further stated that 'the airplane ballooned up (porpoising) three to five feet in the air.' The student pilot initiated a go-around procedure, but the airplane came down on the nose wheel which subsequently collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. The student pilot's flight instructor added that the first touchdown was on all three tires but 'the touch down was smooth.' He further stated that 'the aircraft became airborne again and the pilot pitched down allowing the wheels to touch down on the nose wheel first (pitch attitude slightly nose low).' He reported that the 'second touch down resulted in a porpoising that collapsed the nose wheel.' The instructor stated that during the 'final few seconds' of the landing sequence, he could hear power being applied to the airplane, but 'the nose was too low for the pilot to initiate a climb.'
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: 48 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,477 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 26, 1996; 113 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLL at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:17 pm from CLL, 1 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 N93124 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.