Cessna 152 accident near Rockford, Illinois, August 17, 2012
On August 17, 2012 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N152BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Rockford, Illinois. 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
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2012 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · 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
- N152BA · registry record · serial 15282722
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a visual approach to the runway during the instructional flight, the engine lost partial power. The flight instructor reported that the engine was operating normally and then the engine rpm abruptly decreased from 2,200 to about 1,300. The carburetor heat was in the OFF position for the approach. The flight instructor's efforts to regain engine power were unsuccessful. Unable to make a landing at the airport, the instructor executed a forced landing to a field. The airplane touched down short of the airport, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent; no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were identified. The engine was test run at various power settings with no anomalies noted. Although a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that the ambient temperature and dew point at the time of the accident favored serious carburetor icing at glide power, the pilot reported that the engine was not at glide power when the power loss occurred. Accordingly, the investigation was not able to identify the reason for the power loss.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,322 hours in all; 578 in this make and model; 227 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 1,262 as pilot in command; 996 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 26, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,708 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Poplar Grove IL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: RFD Rockford IL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from RFD, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N152BA 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.