Cessna 152 accident near Worcester, Massachusetts, August 10, 1996
On August 10, 1996 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5431Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Worcester, Massachusetts (Worcester 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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in a nose over. His improper flare was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1996 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Worcester, Massachusetts · Worcester Municipal
- 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
- N5431Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was on the fourth touch-and-go landing, when the airplane bounced during touchdown. He reduced engine power in an attempt to recover. The pilot reported that during his attempt to stop the bounce, the plane nosed forward as he attempted to go around. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest in grass adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,396 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1996; 47 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: ORC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from ORC
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.