Cessna 152 accident near Princeton, Minnesota, November 22, 2011
On November 22, 2011 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6436P, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Princeton, Minnesota (Princeton Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate installation of the threaded insert in the No. 2 cylinder spark plug hole by maintenance personnel, which resulted in a loss of engine power during initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2011 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, Minnesota · Princeton Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6436P · registry record · serial 15285013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot conducted two takeoffs and landings without incident. During initial climb after the third takeoff, he heard a loud “pop,” and the airplane started to vibrate severely and lose engine power. He executed a forced landing to a nearby field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over during the landing roll. The examination of the airplane revealed that the lower spark plug from the No. 2 cylinder and its associated threaded insert were missing. The threads in the top portion of the spark plug hole were stripped, and only the bottom three threads remained. No other engine anomalies were observed. The engine maintenance logbook indicated that, 7 days prior to the accident, the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders had new threaded inserts installed in the lower spark plug holes.
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 base) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 14 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,700 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 5, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ascend Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PNM Princeton MN at 4:54 pm
- Destination: PNM Princeton MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from PNM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N6436P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12LA077.