Cessna 152 accident near San Manuel, Arizona, August 12, 1997
On August 12, 1997 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757CS, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Manuel, Arizona (San Manuel airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's fatigue from improper rest the evening before the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1997 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Manuel, Arizona · San Manuel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757CS · registry record · serial 15279638
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that the aircraft bounced as she landed on the runway. She elected to attempt to maneuver the aircraft on the ground rather than attempt a go-around. As she maneuvered the flight controls, she subsequently lost control of the airplane. The airplane ended up nosed over with damage to the right wing. According to the CFI, the student pilot reported that she had not slept well the night before the flight and attributed her poor performance to being under stress due to an imminent departure on vacation.
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: student
- Flight time: 88 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,236 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1997; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 15279638 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 40E La Cholla AZ at 3:01 pm
- Destination: E77
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 4,214 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from TUS, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX97LA284.