Cessna 152 accident near Saspamco, Texas, September 12, 2000
On September 12, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N64921, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saspamco, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the #3 and #4 connecting rods. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain condition for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Saspamco, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N64921 · no longer on the register · serial 15281477
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had been practicing flight maneuvers for about 30-40 minutes when the flight instructor noticed a drop in engine rpm and altitude. He instructed the student to apply full power; however, the rpm continued to drop. The flight instructor took control of the airplane, and the engine lost power with a loud noise, smoke, oil and debris coming from the engine cowling. The flight instructor initiated a forced landing, and the airplane touched down in a plowed field aligned with the furrows. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear sunk into the soft dirt, and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted. Examination of the engine revealed the #3 and #4 connecting rods had failed. The engine had accumulated 3,023 hours since the last major overhaul. The manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls is 2,400 hours.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 595 hours in all; 97 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,895 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 29, 2000; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 216°F (102°C), dew point 135°F (57°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from SAT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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.