Cessna 152 accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, February 7, 1982
On February 7, 1982 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5272B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Cape Girardeau 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 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, 1982 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Cape Girardeau 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
- N5272B · no longer on the register · serial 15283823
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING HIS SECOND SOLO FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT LANDED IN A SLIGHT LEFT QUARTERING HEADWIND. HE STATED THAT HE HAD LEFT RUDDER APPLIED ON TOUCHDOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT INTO A SNOWBANK AND NOSE OVER.
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: 7 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 907 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGI Cape Girardeau MO at 1:30 pm
- Destination: CGI Cape Girardeau MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.