Cessna 152 accident near Ormond Beach, Florida, November 15, 2003
On November 15, 2003 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24887, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ormond Beach, Florida (Ormond Beach 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2003 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Ormond Beach, Florida · Ormond Beach 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
- N24887 · registry record · serial 15280433
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that it was her first unsupervised solo and as she was executing the landing flare/touchdown, the airplane "porpoised", and she was unable to gain control. She said the nose gear collapsed, and the propeller contacted the runway, with the airplane incurring damage to the firewall. Prior to the accident, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
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: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,109 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 23, 2003; 27 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: OMN Ormond Beach FL at 3:15 pm
- Destination: OMN Ormond Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from DAB
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.