Cessna 152 accident near Denton, Texas, July 27, 2016
On July 27, 2016 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 152, registered N4702P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Denton, Texas (Denton Enterprise 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 approach descent rate and landing flare attitude, which resulted in a hard landing and 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
- July 27, 2016 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Denton, Texas · Denton Enterprise · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1980 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4702P · registry record · serial 15284801
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during his third supervised solo landing, the airplane touched down hard in a level attitude and bounced. The student pilot further reported that the airplane bounced three times and the nose wheel collapsed. A post-accident examination by a mechanic, revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot's instructor reported that from the airport control tower he observed the student pilot touch down fast, bounce the airplane three times, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,935.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 15,967 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTO Denton TX at 1:30 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KDTO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N4702P 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.