Cessna 152 accident near Fredericksburg, Texas, July 21, 2019
On July 21, 2019 at about 5:41 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N48410, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fredericksburg, 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
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2019 · about 5:41 pm local time
- Place
- Fredericksburg, 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 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N48410 · registry record · serial 15280907
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 3,500 ft, the pilot and flight instructor-rated passenger heard the engine begin to run rough. They completed the emergency checklist for a loss of engine power and chose to return to the departure airport; however, the engine continued to lose power and the pilots performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a barbed wire fence. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of serious carburetor icing at descent power; however, the engine was operating at cruise power at the time of the accident. The airplane's engine was test run at the accident site; the engine started and ran with no anomalies noted. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 467.2 hours in all; 185.1 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,250 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 32 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 31, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T82 Fredericksburg TX at 5:20 pm
- Destination: GTU Georgetown TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KT82, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 12, 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Information - Cessna 152 Emergency Procedures Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary -- Insp. R. Long | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area - 7NM and 33 Degrees from T82 to Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Information - Carburetor Icing Chart with Local Wx Plotted | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Reports and Records - T82 Weather Reports | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photos - FAA Supplied Images | PDF, 4 pages | 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.