Cessna 152 accident near Denton, Texas, July 5, 2014
On July 5, 2014 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N49785, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Denton, Texas. It was a personal 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
The in-flight failure of the right wing’s rear spar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2014 · about 11:30 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Denton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49785 · registry record · serial 15283514
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot and private pilot were conducting a personal cross-country flight. The private pilot, who was flying from the right seat, reported that, while at 3,500 ft mean sea level, about 10 to 15 nautical miles west of the destination airport, he heard a loud "boom." The commercial pilot, who was in the left seat, also reported that he heard the "boom." He subsequently took the flight controls but did not feel or see any anomalies with the airplane. He continued to the destination airport and landed without further incident. During a postflight examination of the airplane, a hole was found in the top of the right wing near the fuel cap, and a fracture was found near the upper portion of the right wing's rear spar. Further examination revealed that there was corrosion near the wing spar fracture. It is likely that the "boom" heard by both pilots was the in-flight failure of the right wing's rear spar.
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
- Aircraft structural failure during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Spar (on wing) › Failure other cases naming the airframe structure
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Spar (on wing) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 179 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 436 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 312 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,942.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: US Aviation Group LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: RPH Graham TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KDTO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 21, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N49785 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N49785 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Graham Municipal · departed from
- Denton Enterprise Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N49785 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN14LA351.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.