Cessna 152 accident near Moore, South Carolina, March 24, 2010
On March 24, 2010 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N93441, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Moore, South Carolina. 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 certificated mechanic's improper installation of a helicoil, which resulted in the separation of a sparkplug and the helicoil and led to a partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2010 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Moore, South Carolina · 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
- N93441 · no longer on the register · serial 15285490
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The local instructional flight had departed from the airport about 30 minutes prior to the accident. After completing several aerial maneuvers, including slow flight and power-off stalls, the student pilot had begun a recovery from another power-off stall. When he applied throttle, the engine immediately began to run rough. The certificated flight instructor decided to perform a forced landing in a farm field. During the landing roll, the nosewheel came in contact with the soft soil and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the bottom sparkplug and associated helicoil on the No. 4 cylinder had separated from the cylinder. After new sparkplug and helicoil was installed in the engine, it ran normally. The airplane's engine maintenance logbook showed that four days prior to the accident, the bottom sparkplug and helicoil had been replaced on the No. 4 cylinder due to a bad helicoil. The mechanic had installed a standard helicoil contrary to the engine manufacturer's recommendation to install oversize helicoil spark plug inserts.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Incorrect service/maintenance
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 15,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 10, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,337 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 31, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero II Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SPA Spartanburg SC at 2:45 pm
- Destination: SPA Spartanburg SC
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from SPA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.