Cessna 152 accident near La Belle, Florida, March 22, 1993
On March 22, 1993 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94187, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Belle, Florida (Labelle Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT, AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TAILWIND, AND THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND TRANSITION TO AN ABORTED LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO MUSH INTO THE GROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1993 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- La Belle, Florida · Labelle Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N94187 · no longer on the register · serial 15285617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT OPERATOR, THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 5 KNOTS & RUNWAY 14 WAS THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE DUAL STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) ELECTED TO FOLLOW ANOTHER PILOT THAT SELECTED RUNWAY 32. DURING THE LANDING FLARE, THE STUDENT PILOT THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH & ADDED FULL POWER FOR A GO-AROUND. THE STUDENT DID NOT RETRACT THE FLAPS FROM THE FULL DOWN POSITION, AND THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL & LOWERED THE NOSE TO PREVENT A STALL, THEN RAISED THE FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE GRASS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DUG IN. THE NOSE GEAR THEN DUG IN & COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ONTO ITS BACK. ABOUT 28 MILES SOUTHWEST AT FORT MYERS, THE WIND WAS FROM 110 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command; 126 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,363 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1993; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Florida Flight Academy, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL at 3:08 pm
- Destination: X14
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 3,810 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; not recorded at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm from FMY, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N94187 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.