Cessna 152 N25513 accident near St. Augustine, Florida

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the landing approach.

NTSB analysis

The purpose of the local flight was to provide a discovery flight experience for a prospective student pilot. A witness reported that they saw the airplane flying about 100 ft above ground level, with “the wings swaying up and down” during its approach to land. The nose of the airplane was pitched upward, but suddenly the airplane pitched down before it impacted the runway, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. A postimpact fire ensued and the airplane slid for about 200 ft before coming to a stop.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. While a rudder control cable was found with several strands separated, the cable and the majority of its strands were otherwise intact, and it is unlikely that this contributed to the accident. Based on the witness report, it is likely that the airplane’s critical angle of attack was exceeded during the approach, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Given that the reported purpose of the flight was to provide an initial flight experience to a prospective pilot, it is likely that the flight instructor was either manipulating the controls, or was a least directing the manipulation of the controls, when the accident occurred.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21FA274 for the full record.