Cessna 152 accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, July 4, 2000
On July 4, 2000 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89043, was destroyed in an accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Murfreesboro Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's failure to maintain an airspeed above the aircraft's stall speed, which resulted in a stall/mush, and an inflight loss of control while maneuvering to return to a landing area during an emergency, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and collision with a residence, and the ground. Factors contributing to the accident were an improper flap setting, and the aircraft's gross weight being exceeded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2000 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee · Murfreesboro Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N89043 · no longer on the register · serial 15282607
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that it had been his third flight lesson, and his first in a Cessna 152 since he did not want to pay the extra $20.00 to fly the remaining 180 horsepower Cessna 172. The student stated that the aircraft tanks he believed the fuel tanks had been topped off, and that during the takeoff/initial climb, the aircraft got to an altitude of about 50 to 100 ft, and seemed as if it did not have enough power to fly. He said the engine did not malfunction in any way, was developing the proper "rpms", and had a normal engine sound, but that the airplane just seemed as if it did not have enough power to fly. He said that his instructor immediately took control and turned the aircraft back toward the airport, but as they were in the turn, the last thing he remembered was the stall warning horn going off after the turn had been initiated, just before they dropped. Witnesses to the accident confirmed that the aircraft engine was operating at the time of impact, and postaccident examination of the aircraft and engine did not reveal any mechanical failure or malfunction to the aircraft or any on its systems. The flaps were confirmed to be at set at 20 degrees, and a postaccident analysis revealed that the aircraft weighed about 1,713 lbs, and that the computed density altitude at the time of the accident, was about 2,000 feet. In addition, two propeller slash marks at the scene, 14 inches apart, indicated a ground speed of about 41 knots, and an engine speed of about 1,774 rpms at impact.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 482 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,603 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 3, 2000; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MBT at 12:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,900 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 178°F (81°C), dew point 160°F (71°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from MBT
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.