Cessna 152 accident near Carlisle, Arkansas, January 14, 2000
On January 14, 2000 at about 3:51 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N95552, was destroyed in an accident near Carlisle, Arkansas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2000 · about 3:51 pm local time
- Place
- Carlisle, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95552 · registry record · serial 15285920
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had accrued approximately 46 hours of flight time and was to fly 1.5 hours solo to practice landings at a nearby airport. A review of available radar data indicated that the airplane departed on an easterly heading, climbed to an altitude of 3,200 feet msl, and established a varying ground speed of 84 to 94 knots. Radar data indicated that following two 180-degree turns, the airplane was at 3,300 feet msl, heading 089 degrees, with a ground speed of 49 knots. After 2 minutes and 51 seconds, the altitude started decreasing. Radar contact was lost at an altitude of 1,600 feet msl. A witness observed the airplane descending straight down with no rotation, and he watched it until it went out of view behind some trees. This witness could see the bottom of the airplane's wings and fuselage, and thought that it was a model airplane until he saw black smoke rising from behind the trees. An examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted on the top of a levee, and the engine was found embedded 4.5 feet in the ground within the initial impact crater. No anomalies were found with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,628 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 24, 1999; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 3:25 pm
- Destination: 4M3 AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from LIT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW00FA063.