Cessna 152 N5331B

Summary

On 8 July 2016 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N5331B was involved in an accident near Bridgeport, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2016 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgeport, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bridgeport Muni (XBP)

Coordinates

33.1803, -97.8286

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N5331B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denton → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA259

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's unstabilized approach and uneven braking due to insufficient runway remaining, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the bound flap jackscrew, which jammed the flaps and led to the pilot’s inability to operate the airplane normally.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While performing touch-and-go landings, the private pilot noticed that the ground run was longer than usual and that the airplane had difficultly climbing. He saw that the flaps were still at 30° despite the flap handle being in the "up" position. The pilot then maneuvered to land, but the airplane was higher than normal while approaching the runway. He slipped the airplane down, and the airplane floated down the runway. After the airplane touched down near the end of the runway, the pilot applied the brakes, but he then lost directional control, and the airplane exited the side of the runway. The nosewheel got stuck in the soil, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Examination of the flap assembly revealed that the flap tube assembly on the flap actuator motor was fully extended and bound. The tube assembly was freed mechanically, and the flap actuator motor was then able to move the tube assembly normally. Further examination did not reveal a reason why the tube assembly had become bound. No anomalies were noted with the jackscrew or the flap actuator motor. It is likely that the pilot was confused by the airplane's performance with 30° of flaps while on the approach because it was not what he was used to and that the bound flaps prevented him from getting the airplane to achieve sufficient airspeed for a proper approach and landing, which led to the unstabilized approach and long landing. The pilot's subsequent uneven application of braking resulted in the runway excursion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.