Cessna 152 accident near Lancaster, Texas, January 26, 2001
On January 26, 2001 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5295Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lancaster, Texas. 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
maintenance personnel's improper installation of the throttle lever lock nut. A contributory factor was the lack of suitable terrain 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
- January 26, 2001 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lancaster, Texas · 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
- N5295Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285097
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Approximately five minutes into the cross-county instructional flight, a drop in engine RPM occurred. After a continued steady decrease in the engine RPM, the engine lost total power. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. During the ensuing forced landing to a field, the nose wheel contacted soft ground, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 2 hours total time since its last annual inspection. During that annual inspection, the carburetor was removed for additional maintenance. Examination indicated that when the throttle control was actuated from inside the cockpit, the throttle cable and lever did not actuate the throttle shaft and throttle valve. The castellated lock nut securing the throttle lever to the throttle shaft on the carburetor was found not to be saftied, via a required cotter pin. The lock nut had loosened, allowing the throttle cable and lever to move, without movement of the throttle shaft and throttle valve.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 296 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 241 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,477.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2001; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airline Training Academy Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: FWS Fort Worth TX at 9:45 pm
- Destination: TYR Tyler TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from DAL, 15 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.