Cessna 152 accident near Carlisle, Arkansas, November 20, 1999
On November 20, 1999 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N413JF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlisle, Arkansas. 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
The loss of engine power as a result of excessively fouled spark plugs. A factor was the soft terrain during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 1999 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Carlisle, Arkansas · 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
- N413JF · no longer on the register · serial 152-84259
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight, the airplane's engine failed to respond when the pilot receiving instruction advanced the throttle from idle to full power. The flight instructor had simulated a loss of engine power by applying full carburetor heat and retarding the throttle to idle, while at 1,700 feet agl. At 700 feet agl, the flight instructor directed the pilot receiving instruction to initiate a recovery. The flight instructor assumed the controls and configured the airplane with full flaps when the engine failed to respond. The airplane touched down in a freshly plowed field. After touching down, the airplane rolled on its main landing gear for approximately 50 feet. As the speed dissipated, the nose landing gear touched down and sank in the soft ground. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. An engine test run was attempted under the supervision of an FAA inspector. The engine failed to start due to excessively fouled spark plugs.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 958 hours in all; 191 in this make and model; 221 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 623 as pilot in command; 236 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,889 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 31, 1999; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LIT, 260 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.