Cessna 152 accident near St. Augustine, Florida, October 23, 2025
On October 23, 2025 at about 8:18 am local time, a 1984 Cessna 152, registered N95005, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Augustine, Florida (Northeast Florida Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to properly set the elevator trim prior to takeoff, which resulted in her inability to effectively control the airplane’s pitch and a collision with trees at the end of the runway during initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2025 · about 8:18 am local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · Northeast Florida Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1984 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95005 · registry record · serial 15285835
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident takeoff was the student pilot’s second solo flight lesson. She reported that the airplane began to climb with difficulty from the 8,001 ft-long runway, while the airspeed was increasing. She checked the cockpit instrumentation, and everything appeared normal, except the altitude and airspeed. She further described having difficulty pitching the airplane up and it struck trees at the end of the runway. Review of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data revealed that the airplane was traveling at 100 kts groundspeed just prior to the collision with trees. The airplane came to rest in a marsh, upright and partially submerged. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Further examination of the wreckage revealed that the flaps were near the 15° extended position, and the elevator trim was near the full nose-down position. Based on this information it is likely that the combined position of the elevator trim resulted in the student pilot’s difficulty controlling the airplane’s pitch during initial climb.
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
- 350470 during loss of engine power
- 350240 during loss of engine power
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 39 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,935 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 8, 2025; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 13,319 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°C, dew point 50°C
- Altimeter: 30.129999 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 am from SGJ, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSGJ 231156Z 32008KT 10SM CLR 14/10 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP201 7//// T01440100 10183 20144 51018 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA26LA023.