Cessna 152 accident near Naples, Florida, July 29, 2001
On July 29, 2001 at about 3:53 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N944AC, was destroyed 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a hard landing on the nose landing gear, collapse of the nose landing, the airplane sliding off the runway, and the airplane being destroyed by a postcrash fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2001 · about 3:53 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
- N944AC · registry record · serial 15284307
- 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 the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and the nose came up slightly. The airplane bounced and he was thinking of performing a go-around. The airplane then rolled slightly to the left and at this point was coming down again. He felt a go-around was not possible. He then felt a hot rush of air on his legs, the front nose tipped down, and the propeller contacted the runway. He held the yoke and waited until the airplane came to a stop. He then transmitted to the control tower controller that he was alright and he then saw smoke and felt flames shoot out towards his right leg. He then evacuated the airplane and when he turned around he saw that the airplane was on fire.
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: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,890 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 26, 2001; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:46 pm from APF, 1 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 MIA01LA198.