Cessna 152 accident near Mattituck, New York, February 7, 1996
On February 7, 1996 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mattituck, New York (Mattituck Airbase airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's inadequate inflight decision and inadequate evaluation of the weather which resulted in a downwind landing and runway overrun. The student pilot's failure to follow directives was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1996 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mattituck, New York · Mattituck Airbase · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757PS · registry record · serial 15279901
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
This was the student pilot's third solo flight outside of the traffic pattern to practice airwork in the local area. He was not authorized to fly solo to other airports. After takeoff he elected to practice takeoffs and landings at the another airport. A witness at the airport observed the airplane when it was about 3/4 of the distance down the 2,200-foot runway. The airplane was about 100 feet above the ground performing a go-around. He next observed the airplane a few minutes later during a landing roll-out. The airplane was still moving fast about 3/4 of the distance down the runway, when it went off of the end of the runway and collided with a 3-foot-high snow bank. Examination of the runway revealed skid marks that extended along the last 450 feet of the runway. The last 150 feet of skid marks showed signs of a deflated right main tire. Winds at an airport 10 miles to the southwest were reported to be from 220 degrees at 12 knots. The student pilot had accumulated approximately 40 hours of total flight experience, of which about 8 hours were solo flight.
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: 41 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,248 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 15, 1995; 69 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: HWV Brookhaven NY at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 21N
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,200 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from FOK, 11 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N757PS 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.