Cessna 152 accident near St. Augustine, Florida, June 29, 2021
On June 29, 2021 at about 6:27 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N25513, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near St. Augustine, Florida (Northeast Florida Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2021 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · Northeast Florida Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25513 · no longer on the register · serial 15280707
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the local flight was to provide a discovery flight experience for a prospective student pilot. A witness reported that they saw the airplane flying about 100 ft above ground level, with “the wings swaying up and down” during its approach to land. The nose of the airplane was pitched upward, but suddenly the airplane pitched down before it impacted the runway, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. A postimpact fire ensued and the airplane slid for about 200 ft before coming to a stop. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. While a rudder control cable was found with several strands separated, the cable and the majority of its strands were otherwise intact, and it is unlikely that this contributed to the accident. Based on the witness report, it is likely that the airplane’s critical angle of attack was exceeded during the approach, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Given that the reported purpose of the flight was to provide an initial flight experience to a prospective pilot, it is likely that the flight instructor was either manipulating the controls, or was a least directing the manipulation of the controls, when the accident occurred.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 244 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,269 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 10,530 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13/3, 7,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 2:44 pm from SGJ
Weather report (METAR): KSGJ 291844Z 11010KT 10SM CLR 28/25 A3019 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on September 7, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Witness Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 22-024 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record-medical and Pathological Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report Pilot and Pax | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | 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.