Cessna 152 accident near Maricopa, Arizona, November 14, 1991
On November 14, 1991 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5552M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Maricopa, Arizona (U/A Maricopa AG Ctr airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CFI'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION AND HIS DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION. A FACTOR WAS CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 1991 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Maricopa, Arizona · U/A Maricopa AG Ctr
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5552M · registry record · serial 15284613
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THE CFI RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO SPIRAL OVER THE PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPORT AND EXECUTE A SIMULATED ENGINE OUT EMERGENCY LANDING. THE STUDENT EXECUTED TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS, CLEARING THE ENGINE AFTER EACH TURN. WHEN THE STUDENT ROLLED OUT ON FINAL APPROACH THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT ALIGNED TOWARDS THE RUNWAY AND ITS ALTITUDE WAS TOO HIGH. THE CFI DIRECTED THE STUDENT TO GO AROUND. WHEN THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER, THE ENGINE FALTERED AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS GLIDE POWER CARBURETOR ICING EXISTED AT THE TIME.
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: 1,000 hours in all; 467 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command; 750 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,005 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 28, 1991; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sawyer Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.