Cessna 152 accident near Venice, Florida, February 7, 1987
On February 7, 1987 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6237M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Venice, Florida (Venice Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1987 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Venice, Florida · Venice Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6237M · no longer on the register · serial 15284643
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FULL FLAP X-WIND TAKE OFF & LANDINGS WERE BEING CONDUCTED ON RWY 13 WITH THE WINDS AT 210 TO 220 DEGS AT 10 KTS, OR A RIGHT X-WIND COMPONENT OF 80 TO 90 DEGS. THE STUDENT PLT PERMITTED THE ACFT TO GET TOO SLOW WHILE ABOUT 10 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. A HIGH SINK RATE DEVELOPED, A HARD LDG WAS MADE & THE ACFT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER & CAUGHT THE INSTRUCTOR 'BY SURPRISE'. 15 FT ABOVE THE GROUND WITH NO FLT SPEED, THE INSTRUCTOR PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN BUT THE X-WIND BLEW THE ACFT INTO THE GRASS CATCHING THE LEFT WING & NOSE. THE OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE ACFT STATES THAT WHEN LDG IN A STRONG X-WIND, 'USE MINIMUM FLAP SETTING REQUIRED FOR THE FIELD LENGTH'. RWY 13 IS 5000 LONG.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,307 hours in all; 437 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 1,189 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,559 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 9, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNC Venice FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from SRQ, 22 miles away
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.