Cessna 152 accident near Denton, Texas, March 20, 2025
On March 20, 2025 at about 8:56 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 152, registered N68332, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Denton, Texas (Denton Enterprise Airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the gusty crosswind and windshear during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2025 · about 8:56 pm local time
- Place
- Denton, Texas · Denton Enterprise Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1981 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68332 · registry record · serial 15285326
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a full stop landing to runway 36R in a gusty crosswind and light-to-moderate turbulence. While the airplane was on the base leg in the traffic pattern, another pilot transmitted over the tower frequency that they had a 10 knot windshear while over the runway during their takeoff. The tower controller asked the pilot if she heard the other pilot’s transmission about windshear over the runway. The pilot acknowledged the potential for windshear, increased her approach speed, and continued with the landing approach. The pilot reported that the airplane remained on a stable landing approach until a few feet above the runway when the airplane landed hard before she began the landing flare. The airplane bounced and then began to porpoise on the runway. The nose landing gear struck the runway at least 3 times before the pilot increased engine power for a go-around. However, as she increased the engine power, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid nose down to a stop on the runway. Several engine mount tubes fractured when the nose landing gear collapsed aft. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Additionally, she reported that the wind conditions at the time of the accident exceeded her personal limitations and that the accident could have been prevented had she began the go-around after the first bounced landing. Recorded wind at the time of the accident was 340° at 12 knots gust to 19 knots.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 234.1 hours in all; 200.7 in this make and model; 18.8 in the last 90 days; 11.8 in the last 30 days; 135.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,678 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 2024; 821.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 17,057 hours total
- Operator: US Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: DTO Denton TX at 7:39 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36R, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDTO
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDTO 202053Z 34012G19KT 10SM CLR 17/M03 A3028 RMK AO2 SLP251 T01671028 56034=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN25LA134.