Cessna 152 accident near Prescott, Arizona, June 20, 1986
On June 20, 1986 at about 1:25 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68916, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A. Love Fld airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1986 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A. Love Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68916 · no longer on the register · serial 15282400
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON RUNWAY 21. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INDICATED THAT DURING THE LANDING FLARE OF A FULL FLAP LANDING THE STUDENT PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW 45 DEGS OFF THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE CFI IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A GO-AROUND BY APPLYING 'FULL POWER, LAST NOTCH OF FLAPS UP, AND CLIMB'. THE STALL WARNING CAME ON AND THE CFI PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT NOSE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND THREE TIMES PRIOR TO COMING TO A FULL STOP. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK PROVIDES AMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR 'BALKED LANDINGS' (GO-AROUND). IT STATES, 'IN A BALKED LANDING CLIMB, THE WING FLAP SETTING SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 20 DEGS IMMEDIATELY AFTER FULL POWER IS APPLIED. UPON REACHING A SAFE AIRSPEED, THE FLAPS SHOULD BE SLOWLY RETRACTED TO THE FULL UP POSITION'.
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: 910 hours in all; 188 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days; 698 as pilot in command; 519 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,476 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 9, 1986; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,616 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:27 pm from PRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
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.