Cessna 152 accident near Miami, Florida, October 17, 2016
On October 17, 2016 at about 12:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N46953, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Miami, Florida (Miami Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2016 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N46953 · registry record · serial 15283149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that after a normal taxi and run-up, he aligned the airplane on the runway centerline and started the takeoff roll. He further reported that he attempted to rotate the airplane at 50 knots and then again at 65 knots, but the airplane "couldn't takeoff." The student pilot subsequently reduced the power to idle and applied the brakes to abort the takeoff. During the aborted takeoff, the airplane veered off the runway to the left and encountered high grass and a water retention lake about 635 feet from the runway centerline. The student pilot reported that the airplane "wouldn't respond" to his control inputs during the aborted takeoff. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The operator reported in the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident Report that the student pilot "rotated too early and got fixated on the airspeed indicator. Then the left brake was touched causing the airplane to veer to the left." The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector reported that he completed a postaccident examination of the airplane and found that the brakes were functional and confirmed flight control continuity.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 47 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 2.4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,302.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 9, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 14,243 hours total
- Operator: Dean International Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 12:00 pm
- Destination: IMM Immokalee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09L, 5,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KTMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 15, 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 Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Area Overview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | 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.