Cessna 152 accident near Maricopa, Arizona, August 3, 1992
On August 3, 1992 at about 4:06 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49016, was destroyed in an accident near Maricopa, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCTURE BY ATTEMPTING AN ABRUPT MANEUVER AT A SPEED IN EXCESS OF THE MANEUVERING SPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1992 · about 4:06 pm local time
- Place
- Maricopa, Arizona
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49016 · no longer on the register · serial 15281102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THERE WERE NO EYE WITNESSES'S TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT RENTED THE AIRPLANE TO PRACTICE GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS IN THE SOUTH PRACTICE AREA. THE WEATHER WAS VMC, AND OTHER PILOTS FLYING IN THE VICINITY REPORTED NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER PHENOMONA. TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AT THE PILOTS THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE RENEWAL HE REPORTED 480 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS WITH NO HOURS IN THE PRECEEDING SIX MONTHS. ACCORDING TO FLIGHT SCHOOL RECORDS HE RECIEVED ABOUT 2.7 HOURS AFTER HIS MEDICAL, OF DUAL INSTRUCTION AND A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. THE PILOT THEN FLEW SOLO THROUGH JULY 7, 1992, FOR ABOUT 8.7 HOURS. ACCORDING TO THE METALLURGIST'S FACTUAL REPORT, THE WINGS LOWER STRUT ATTATCH POINTS FAILED DUE TO OVERSTRESS. CESSNA AIRCRAFT TESTED A 150K FUSELAGE DURING CERTIFICATION WORK ON THE A152 MODEL AND FOUND THAT THE LOWER LIFT STRUT ATTATCH FITTING FAILED AT 8.28 G'S. ENGINEERS CALCULATED THAT AN AIRSPEED OF 153.2 MPH WAS REQUIRED AT GROSS WEIGHT TO GENERATE THE 8.28 G LOAD WHICH CAUSED THE STRUT ATTATCH FAILURE. MANEUVERING SPEED FOR THE AIRCRAFT IS 103 MPH.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 491 hours in all; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,873 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1992; 87 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: GEU Glendale AZ at 3:30 pm
- Destination: GEU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.