Cessna 152 accident near Paris, Texas, July 6, 2019
On July 6, 2019 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N757YK, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Paris, Texas (Cox Field). 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 the runway heading during takeoff with a crosswind, which resulted in impact with a hay bale left of the runway, and his improper decision to perform a soft-field takeoff without adequate practice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2019 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Paris, Texas · Cox Field · 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 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757YK · no longer on the register · serial 15280108
- 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, while practicing a soft-field takeoff, he applied full power and pitched the airplane's nose "above the horizon." The airplane became airborne, the wind pushed the airplane to the left, and the airplane struck a hay bale on the left side of the runway. The student turned the airplane toward the runway and landed on the remaining runway without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The chief flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 34 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 240° at 4 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 26 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 240° at 9 knots. The student was departing from runway 17. The chief flight instructor reported that the student's flight instructor told him not to practice soft-field takeoffs during a solo flight. The instructor stated that the student required more practice on the takeoff technique.
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
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Training with equipment › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,372.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 11,399 hours total
- Operator: Us Aviation Group Llc
The flight
- Departed from: PRX Paris TX at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KPRX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2019. 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 | Accident Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N757YK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.