Cessna 152 accident near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, February 21, 2002
On February 21, 2002 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blowing Rock, North Carolina (Burlington-Alamance Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's in-flight decision to continue flight into an area with high winds that resulted in an in-flight encounter with a downdraft and subsequent loss of control of the airplane and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2002 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Blowing Rock, North Carolina · Burlington-Alamance Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757AS · no longer on the register · serial 15279591
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was maneuvering 50 to 100 feet above trees in mountainous terrain when a strong downdraft was encountered. The pilot attempted to escape the condition by turning, and the downdraft pushed the airplane into the treetops. A nearby weather station reported surface winds from 280 degrees magnetic at 24 knots gusting to 37 knots. The airplane was found approximately 100 yards below a 2,630-foot peak on the southeast side, about 3.5 miles east of a 3,800-foot ridge. Both wings displayed leading edge damage. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or defect was found, and the pilot reported no mechanical problems.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,030 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1,030 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 2001; 59.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BUY Burlington NC at 6:00 am
- Destination: BUY Burlington NC
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 24 knots, gusting 37
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:43 pm from KTNB, 75 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N757AS 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.