- Date
- January 5, 1995, 13:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- San Jose, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N25953Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950105000179A
- Case key
- 29011
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper supervision of the student pilot by the instructor by allowing the student to inadvertently pull the mixture control handle too far out causing the engine to lose power. The wet terrain condition was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot was practicing simulated engine failure forced landings with his instructor. During one of the approaches, the student inadvertently pulled out the mixture control handle too FAR and the engine quit. Attempts to restart the engine by the instructor were unsuccessful. The instructor landed the aircraft in a muddy field and it nosed over. The aircraft was recovered and examined. After the examination, the engine was started and it operated normally. There were no mechanical problems found during the examination or the engine run.
Factual narrative
On January 5, 1995, at 1310 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 152, N25953, owned and operated by the pilot, crashed into a muddy field near San Jose, California. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. The aircraft was substantially damaged and neither the instructor pilot nor the student pilot were injured. The aircraft departed from the Reid-Hillview airport in San Jose at 1250 for a local instructional flight.
According to the instructor pilot, they were practicing simulated engine-out forced landings. During one of the approaches, the student pilot inadvertently pulled the mixture control handle too far out and the engine quit. The instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted to restart the engine without success. The pilot landed in a muddy field and as the aircraft came to stop it nosed over.
The instructor pilot believes the unsuccessful engine restart was due to either carburetor icing, water in the fuel, or the mixture control cable was disconnected.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the engine at a local facility. He found the throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat cables connected and operable. The engine was started and run at various power settings. There were no engine problems found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25953
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280879
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Yuzo Wakita
- Registered owner
- Yuzo Wakita
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 30, 1994 · 3 hours before
- Destination
- Q99 · San Martin, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,490 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 6,240 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Observed at
- RHV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.