Cessna 152 accident near Miami, Florida, April 4, 2013
On April 4, 2013 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6141Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Miami, Florida. 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 partial loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 3 exhaust valve. Contributing to the accident was the airplane operator’s failure to follow the engine manufacturer’s recommended engine overhaul intervals.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2013 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · 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
- N6141Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285164
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Near the conclusion of a local training flight, the airplane’s engine experienced a partial loss of power, and the flight instructor performed a forced landing to a road. The airplane departed the road during the landing, and the right wing was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine found that the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve had fractured and separated from the valve stem. Review of maintenance records showed that the valve may have been installed during a repair to the No. 3 cylinder that occurred about 28 years before the accident flight; however, due to the incomplete nature of the records provided, a definitive determination of the engine’s complete service history could not be made. Recent engine log entries showed that the engine had accumulated nearly 2,500 flight hours since the most recent overhaul. The engine-manufacturer-recommended time between overhaul is every 2,400 flight hours or 12 calendar years.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 903 hours in all; 901 in this make and model; 368 in the last 90 days; 124 in the last 30 days; 828 as pilot in command; 625 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 4, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,408 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 26, 2013; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: C&G Aircraft Maintenance Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 11:45 am
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from TMB, 7 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.
Other NTSB records under N6141Q 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.