Cessna 152 accident near Tea, South Dakota, September 6, 1985
On September 6, 1985, a Cessna 152, registered N69125, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tea, South Dakota (Great Planes airport). It was an instructional 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1985
- Place
- Tea, South Dakota · Great Planes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N69125 · registry record · serial 15282500
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) WERE PRACTICING LANDINGS. AFTER MAKING 3 TOUCH-&-GO LANDINGS, THE ENG LOST POWER AT APRX 200 FT AGL AS THEY WERE ON THEIR 4TH TAKEOFF. THE CFI REPORTED THAT HE TURNED THE ACFT ABOUT 25 DEG IN AN ATTEMPT TO GLIDE TO A BEAN FIELD & AVOID TALL CORN. HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALT TO AVOID THE CORN. AFTER LANDING IN THE CORN FIELD & ON MUDDY GROUND, THE ACFT NOSED OVER. AN EXAM OF THE ENG & ACFT REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POWER. THE ENG WAS STARTED & RUN TO 1500 RPM WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED, EXCEPT THAT IT COULD NOT BE OPERATED AT A HIGHER RPM DUE TO A BENT PROP. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 78 & 77 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, SERIOUS CARB ICING CONDITION WOULD HAVE EXISTED AT IDLE POWER. HOWEVER,THE CFI STATED THAT THEY HAD USED CARB HEAT ON THE DOWNWIND OF EACH PATTERN, THEN PLACED IT IN COLD FOR EACH TAKEOFF.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,881 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 10,661 as pilot in command; 3,156 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,067 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 1984; 96 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: Y14 at 11:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,430 ft by 45 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.