Cessna 152 accident near Shirley, New York, February 12, 2016
On February 12, 2016 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N47259, was destroyed in an accident during landing near Shirley, New York (Brookhaven airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance while landing, which resulted in a collision with a snow berm, nose gear collapse, and postimpact fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2016 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Shirley, New York · Brookhaven · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N47259 · no longer on the register · serial 15283202
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that on his second landing he felt a "small" impact just before touchdown, and then the airplane pitched down and skidded to a stop. The pilot further reported that after the airplane came to a stop, he observed smoke coming from the lower left side of the cowling just forward of the firewall. As a result of the post-impact fire that ensued, the airplane was destroyed. The pilot reported that he observed evidence of where the airplane's nose wheel impacted a snow berm located on the approach to the runway. He estimated that the snow berm was about five feet high and about twenty feet wide. The airport manager reported that about four inches of snow accumulated on the ground prior to the accident, but that almost all of the snow had been plowed from the runway. He further reported that the accident airplanes nose gear impacted a snow berm that was about 10 feet off the end of the runway, and about 28 inches high. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 14,700 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,823 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 7,873 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Mars Aerospace INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ISP New York NY at 2:53 pm
- Destination: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KHWV, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 4, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email (Airport Manager) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.