Cessna 152 accident near Cullman, Alabama, April 25, 2018
On April 25, 2018 at about 10:14 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 152, registered N89904, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cullman, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent engine shutdown due to excessive leaning of the engine and his subsequent inability to restart the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2018 · about 10:14 pm local time
- Place
- Cullman, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1978 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N89904 · no longer on the register · serial 15282911
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After reaching a cruise altitude about 2,500 ft above ground level, the private pilot pulled the engine mixture control toward the lean position too far, and the engine lost total power. The pilot pushed the engine mixture control to the full rich position and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. After one restart attempt, he chose to execute a forced landing, during which the airplane nosed over and sustained damage to the right wing. Postaccident examination and an engine test run revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not activate carburetor heat during the flight or after the engine lost power. At the time of the power loss, nearby weather was conducive to the formation of serious carburetor ice at descent power; however, because of the airplane’s altitude and the limited amount of time available, the investigation could not determine whether carburetor icing contributed to his inability to restart the engine. It is likely that the pilot leaned the mixture too much, which resulted in the engine losing total power.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 135 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 22, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,878 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 2017; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,669 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 10,878 hours total
- Operator: Guest Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CMD Cullman AL at 9:09 pm
- Destination: GAD Gadsden AL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from K3A1, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 30, 2019. 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 | Correspondence with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Carburetor Icing Chart with Accident Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.