Probable cause
The student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing in gusting winds.
NTSB analysis
The student pilot completed his first solo flight the day prior to the accident. On the day of the accident, the student pilot was completing another solo flight in the traffic pattern. During his third landing on runway 5, the airplane bounced once, then landed again and collapsed the nose landing gear. The airplane came to rest on the runway and sustained damage to the firewall. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the student pilot. The recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 040 degrees at 4 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10CA218 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 4, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida
- Nearest airport
- Winter Haven'S Gilbert Airport (GIF)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 150G
- N-number
- N4655X
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.