Cessna 152 accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, January 9, 1997
On January 9, 1997 at about 3:04 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68304, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (Wings Field). 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
the pilot's inadequate handling of the airplane and failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall, and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1997 · about 3:04 pm local time
- Place
- Blue Bell, Pennsylvania · Wings Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68304 · no longer on the register · serial 15282242
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a soft field takeoff on runway 6 to a student pilot, and attempted to demonstrate an early rotation at 45-50 knots. He raised the nose higher than a normal pitch attitude, and as the stall warning horn sounded, he lowered the pitch, but the airplane rolled to the left. The CFI reduced power, neutralized ailerons, applied right rudder, lowered the nose, and the airplane recovered; however, the airplane was heading towards trees. The CFI reapplied power, but the airplane rolled to the left, struck the ground, and nosed over. Witnesses observed the airplane with a high nose attitude just before it impacted the ground. Another CFI, who had flown the airplane, stated that during a power on/off demonstration flight, the airplane required 2,200 feet of altitude to recover. According to the police, the pilot said the airplane had taken off in a northeasterly direction, and the airplane was about 20 feet above the runway. He said the climb angle was about 15-17 degrees. The airplane's maintenance records revealed that on 5/20/96, an entry for a right rolling tendency was recorded and signed off by a mechanic as, 'checked aileron rigging within limits.' There was no record of the airplane being test flown after the write up. Post-accident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector, revealed control continuity to all 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,879 hours in all; 1,325 in this make and model; 251 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,711 as pilot in command; 1,520 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,504 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 21, 1996; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N67 at 3:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 2,625 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from NXX, 7 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.