Cessna 152 accident near Maple Lake, Minnesota, April 16, 2002
On April 16, 2002 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N752AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Maple Lake, Minnesota (Maple Lake Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate flare and compensation for the crosswind condition during landing. A factor to the accident was the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2002 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Maple Lake, Minnesota · Maple Lake 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
- N752AA · no longer on the register · serial 15279644
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The student pilot reported that while on approach to the runway, at approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane encountered "windshear." The student pilot stated, "Main gear hit runway hard, plane bounced three times - third time in grass [left] of runway, nose gear failed, aircraft went up on nose, fell bank on main gear." The student pilot was attempting to land on runway 10 and the wind at the time of the accident was recorded as 180-degrees magnetic at 15 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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 51 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,533 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 19, 2002; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 21D Lake Elmo MN at 1:00 pm
- Destination: MGG Maple Lake MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 2,796 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from MGG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N752AA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.