Cessna 152 accident near Tampa, Florida, February 28, 2020
On February 28, 2020 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 152, registered N25474, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tampa, Florida (Tampa Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper landing flare and failure to conduct a go-around, which resulted in a bounced landing and the nosewheel collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2020 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 No Series, built 1978 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25474 · no longer on the register · serial 15280678
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, while conducting her first solo flight, the airplane bounced on landing, and the stall horn sounded. The airplane bounced three more times before the nosewheel collapsed, and the left wing contacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to an engine mount and the left wing. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. She said the accident could have been prevented if she had executed a go-around.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31.7 hours in all; 31.7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,087 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 13, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 1,701 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VDF Tampa FL at 2:20 pm
- Destination: VDF Tampa FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.