Cessna 152 accident near Smithfield, Rhode Island, November 6, 1988
On November 6, 1988 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5462B, was destroyed in an accident near Smithfield, Rhode Island. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AFTER BEGINNING AN ASCENT FROM A LOW PASS, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL & LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM A STALL WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 1988 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Smithfield, Rhode Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5462B · no longer on the register · serial 15283877
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE 2 OR 3 LOW & SLOW PASSES OVER AN AREA NEAR THE PASSENGER'S HOME. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, IT BEGAN ASCENDING OVER A TREE LINE, THEN IT NOSED DOWN & CRASHED. THE PASSENGER'S HUSBAND & DAUGHTER WERE OUTSIDE THEIR HOME & SAW THE ACDNT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND DRG THE INVESTIGATION.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 196 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 124 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,265 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 23, 1988; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,630 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFZ Smithfield RI at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from PVD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.