Yakovlev YAK 52 accident near Aledo, Texas, August 6, 2002
On August 6, 2002 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Yakovlev YAK 52, registered N5C, was destroyed in an accident near Aledo, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while performing aerobatics. A contributing factor was the performance of aerobatic maneuvers with low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2002 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Aledo, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK 52 · all YAK 52s on the register
- Registration
- N5C · no longer on the register · serial 844303
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane performing a series of aerobatic maneuvers at an approximate altitude of 100-300 feet agl, and descend in a near vertical attitude. The airplane came to rest upright in a shallow crater near a residential area where a post impact fire ensued. Examination of the empennage section of the airplane revealed two marks were found on the aft topside section of the bellcrank housing; however, no evidence was found of any foreign objects that would have restricted the operation of the flight controls. Both wings leading edge were crushed aft from the wing root out to the wing tip. All of the aircrafts flight controls located within the accident site. Flight control continuity was established to the left and right aileron, and to elevator and rudder flight control surfaces. Examination of the empennage section of the airplane revealed two marks were found on the aft topside section of the bellcrank housing; however, no evidence was found of any foreign objects that would of prohibited operation of the flight controls.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 15, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,893 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Vendeneyev M14P (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 50F Fort Worth TX at 10:05 pm
- Destination: T67 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FTW, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.