Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 152 near Pell City, AL — 2026-07-20

Investigation ongoingANC26LA075
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Date
2026-07-20
Location
Pell City, AL, USA
Airport
PLR
Aircraft
CESSNA 152
Registration
N103UC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On July 20, 2026, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pell City, Alabama. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the instructor they departed St. Clair County Airport (KPLR), Pell City, Alabama, with full fuel tanks for a training flight. About four minutes after departure about 1,500 to 2,000 ft above ground level (agl), the engine lost all power and the instructor performed a forced landing to a field. After landing the airplane continued through a fence and the left wing impacted a tree. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that traveled to the scene the left fuel tank was ruptured. The airplane was recovered and an engine test run was performed. The engine did not run smoothly, and the throttle had to be pumped to keep the engine running. The engine was shut down and secured for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (total) · Enroute-climb to cruise
  • Engine Failure Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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