Cessna 152 accident near Corona, California, February 9, 1994
On February 9, 1994 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49157, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California (Corona airport). 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
a loss of engine power due to water contamination in the fuel, and the instructor's failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 1994 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49157 · no longer on the register · serial 15281170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor said that after about a 1-hour flight to practice primary flight maneuvers they returned to the airport for some touch-and-go traffic pattern operations. The instructor said that on the takeoff of the third touch-and-go, the engine quit about 200 feet agl. There was insufficient runway remaining to affect a landing and the instructor set up a glide to a dry marshy area beyond the runway. The aircraft collided with trees and then nosed into the marsh. About 15 gallons of fuel distributed evenly in both fuel tanks. Visual inspection of the engine revealed no unusual conditions. An attempt was made to start the engine for a ground test run without success. The carburetor was then disassembled for inspection and found to contain about 60 percent water, dirt, and other unidentifiable contaminants. The carburetor was then reassembled and installed on the engine. The engine started on the first attempt, ran smoothly, and accelerated through full rpm with no hesitation.
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: 1,208 hours in all; 480 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 1,180 as pilot in command; 550 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,909 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 1993; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pdz Aviation Flight School
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.