Cessna 152 accident near Butte, Montana, April 7, 2003
On April 7, 2003 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48733, was destroyed in an accident near Butte, Montana (Bert Mooney Field). 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 inadequate compensation for gusty variable wind conditions and his improper flare. Factors include gusty and variable winds .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2003 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Butte, Montana · Bert Mooney Field · 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
- N48733 · no longer on the register · serial 80942
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had been circling near the airport waiting for the gusty variable winds to become more steady. When he started his approach, there was a crosswind of about five knots, but just about the time he was going to start his landing flare, the aircraft encountered a stronger gust. This resulted in the aircraft ballooning upward. The student pilot attempted to correct the ballooning by pushing forward on the control yoke, but his actions resulted in the aircraft striking the runway hard enough to bend the firewall and to start a fuel leak in the engine compartment. The pilot exited the aircraft while it was still on the runway, and soon after he was out of the cockpit, the aircraft caught on fire. The pilot was able to put the fire out once, but it reignited, and the aircraft was ultimately consumed by the flames. According to the pilot, there did not seem to be any problems with any of the aircraft's systems or fight controls.
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: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,445 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2003; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BTM Butte MT at 7:30 pm
- Destination: BTM Butte MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.