Cessna 152 accident near Roswell, New Mexico, November 7, 2000
On November 7, 2000, a Cessna 152, registered N95262, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roswell, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's failure to adequately preflight the airplane, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the dark night light condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2000
- Place
- Roswell, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95262 · registry record · serial 15285869
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During approach, the engine stopped producing power, and the flight instructor performed a night forced landing to a "dark area." During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a transmission wire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed 1 pint of fuel remaining in each wing tank. The flight instructor said that he watched his student perform the preflight, but was distracted by a conversation with a fellow employee. The flight instructor said that he did not visually check the fuel tanks himself.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,025 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,848 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2000
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; ovct at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 126°F (52°C), dew point 99°F (37°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from ROW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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.