Cessna 152 accident near Petersburg, Ohio, March 1, 1993
On March 1, 1993 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5523L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Petersburg, Ohio. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SHORT, SOFT, HILLY TERRAIN CONDITION IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1993 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Petersburg, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5523L · no longer on the register · serial 15284334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT FROM AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE ENGINE 'HAD A SUDDEN POWER DROP OF 1300 TO 1400 RPM,' ACCORDING TO THE CFI. THE CFI 'WENT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST' AND 'COULD NOT HOLD ALTITUDE.' THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER WHEN THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS SELECTED. THE CFI PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING ON SHORT, SOFT, HILLY TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, ALTHOUGH THE FLAP SELECTOR SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND MET MANUFACTURER'S TOLERANCES. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 38 AND 20 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE TO VISIBLE ICING AT GLIDE AND CRUISE POWER; THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS FOUND IN A MIDWAY POSITION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 592 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 185 in the last 90 days; 76 in the last 30 days; 496 as pilot in command; 251 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,592 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 3, 1993; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stensin Aviation, INC
The flight
- Departed from: Beaver Falls PA at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from YNG, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.