Cessna 152 accident near Boyd, Texas, January 9, 1998
On January 9, 1998 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757CH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boyd, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power resulting from the pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat during serious carburetor icing conditions. Factors were: the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and an evasive maneuver which led to an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1998 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Boyd, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757CH · no longer on the register · serial 15279629
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument student was practicing standard rate (500 fpm) descents and climbs, and the flight had descended with the power at 2,000 RPM from 3,000 feet MSL to 1,500 feet MSL. When the student applied full throttle for the climb, the engine power did not increase. The flight instructor took the flight controls and applied carburetor heat; however, the power decreased through 1,500 RPM to 1,200 RPM. The field selected for the forced landing was rough and the airplane struck the ground and again became airborne. The flight instructor, observing a powerline and fence ahead of the airplane, flew the airplane under the powerline and over the fence. Subsequently, the airplane 'stalled' and impacted the ground. The NWS reported the temperature was 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit with a dew point of 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 61 per cent. The icing probability curves showed the conditions to be favorable for serious carburetor icing.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,250 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,483 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Fort Worth TX at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Observation at 6:53 pm from AFW, 14 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.