Cessna 152 accident near Crowley, Texas, January 17, 1991
On January 17, 1991 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94330, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crowley, Texas (Fort Worth Spinks 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
A POWER LOSS DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE RESULTING FROM THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS FAILURE TO USE CORRECT ENGINE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH TERRAIN IN WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1991 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Crowley, Texas · Fort Worth Spinks · 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
- N94330 · registry record · serial 15285650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND ASKED THE PILOT TO DEMONSTRATE A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING. AFTER DEMONSTRATING THE PROCEDURE, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, LANDED ON UNEVEN TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE OVERTURNED. THE ENGINE WAS LATER TESTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE INSTRUCTOR AND PILOT LATER SAID CARBURETOR HEAT HAD NOT APPLIED PRIOR TO THE POWER REDUCTION, AND CARBURETOR ICE CAUSED THE POWER LOSS. THE ENGINE WAS LATER FUNCTIONALLY TESTED BY THE FAA COORDINATOR. IT RAN NORMALLY.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 736 hours in all; 661 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 693 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTS Fort Worth TX at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N94330 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.