Cessna 152 accident near Ellington, Connecticut, May 3, 1994
On May 3, 1994 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5369H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ellington, Connecticut (Ellington 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 LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR WAS THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMROPER LANDING FLARE, WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1994 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ellington, Connecticut · Ellington
- 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
- N5369H · registry record · serial 15284094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 19. HE STATED: 'THE PLANE CAME DOWN FASTER THAN I THOUGHT. THE REAR WHEELS...HIT THE GROUND HARD CAUSING THE PLANE TO BALLOON...INTO THE AIR....' THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, ENTERED A GRASS FIELD AND NOSED OVER. THE RUNWAY WAS 1800 FEET LONG AND 50 FEET WIDE.
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: 78 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 1,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.