# Accident 19950626014869A: Cessna 152, Ben Wheeler, TX, June 26, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 26, 1995, 09:37 local time
- Place: Ben Wheeler, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.4091° N, 95.6608° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4091&lon=-95.6608&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4963H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4963H-1997-03-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW95FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95FA259) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950626014869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FULLY FUELED BEFORE TWO LARGE INDIVIDUALS WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT GOT INTO THE AIRCRAFT FOR AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT FOR THIS AIRCRAFT IS 1,675 POUNDS AND THE CALCULATED TAKEOFF WEIGHT WAS 1,764.3 POUNDS. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE 'FLYING MUCH TOO LOW AND SLOW JUST ABOVE THE TREES.' THE WITNESSES STATED THAT 'THE PLANE SURE DID WOBBLE' AND IT APPEARED TO THEM THAT 'THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO SLOW TO STAY UP.' ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE'S 'MOTOR WAS CUTTING OUT' AND 'THEN HE HIT THE TREE THEN THE GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE GO 'STRAIGHT DOWN' AND THAT 'HE DID NOT CLIP A TREE.' THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE NORTH EDGE OF A GROUP OF TREES 25 TO 30 FEET HIGH IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO INDICATIONS OF ANOMALIES THAT COULD HAVE AFFECTED ITS PERFORMANCE. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN A 7 DEGREE DOWN POSITION. LEAVES AND TWIGS WERE FOUND IN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WHEEL FAIRING WHICH MATCHED THE LEAVES ON THE TREES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW95FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95FA259), Jun 26, 1995: Cessna 152 (N4963H), Ben Wheeler, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL LOW LEVEL FLYING AND NOT MAINTAINING A CLEARANCE FROM THE TREES. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE.

## Other reports on N4963H (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940629028731I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940629028731I), Jun 29, 1994: Cessna 152 (N4963H), Tyler, TX. Nose wheel shimmy on takeoff. Veered off runway. No findings.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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