Cessna 152 accident near Snohomish, Washington, September 8, 2020
On September 8, 2020 at about 9:15 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 152, registered N946SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Snohomish, Washington (Harvey 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 solo student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and his subsequent improper go-around, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2020 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · Harvey Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 No Series, built 1978 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N946SF · registry record · serial 15282353
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that during landing, upon touchdown, the airplane bounced. The student’s flight instructor, who was at a radio, instructed him to go around so the student pilot increased the engine power, maintained the flaps at 30º, and the airplane drifted left of runway centerline. As the student pilot reached about 10 ft above the ground in a nose up attitude, the flight instructor radioed him again to “pitch down.” The student pilot then lowered the nose, but the airplane continued to drift left, impacted the adjacent grass field, and came to rest nose down. The engine truss sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 2020; 896 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235=L2C (piston); 10,585 hours total
The flight
- Runway 33R, 2,672 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 76°F (24°C), dew point 31°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KPAE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.