Cessna 152 accident near Naples, Florida, February 25, 2001
On February 25, 2001 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N942AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during landing due to his improper landing flare height and improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a nose landing gear collapse, and excursion off the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2001 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal · 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
- N942AC · no longer on the register · serial 15285512
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student, he departed his home field in light and variable wind conditions on his fourth solo flight to practice his flight maneuvers. When he returned to the field to conduct landings, the wind had increased, and he was directed to a runway he was not familiar with. His landing flare resulted in a hard touchdown and bounce causing the aircraft to enter a porpoise maneuver that collapsed the nose landing strut. The aircraft departed the runway and sustained damage to the propeller, nose strut mount, and the firewall.
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
- Flight time: 32 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,197 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 5, 2001; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 7:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:10 pm from APF
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.
Other NTSB records under N942AC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.