ANC08LA023

Factual narrative

On December 1, 2007, about 1645 Eastern standard time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N169LC, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain, following an emergency descent and landing after takeoff, at the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Miami, Florida. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport about 1530. In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) dated December 9, the flight instructor reported that they returned to the airport about 1640 to do touch-and-go landings. Following the first touch-and-go, the airplane had climbed to about 200 feet above the runway when the engine started to run rough and lose rpm. According to the flight instructor, he declared an emergency, and attempted to return to the runway. He reported that he was unable to make the runway, the airplane landed hard about 80 feet short of a water retention pond, and rolled into the pond, coming to rest inverted. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that during the accident the tail was separated from the cabin section. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB. The flight instructor and student pilot returned to the airport to do touch-and-go landings. Following the first touch-and-go, the airplane climbed to about 200 feet above the runway, and the engine started to run rough and lose rpm. The flight instructor attempted to return to the runway. He reported that the airplane landed hard about 80 feet short of a water retention pond, and rolled into the pond, coming to rest inverted. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that during the accident the tail was separated from the cabin section. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB, and it is unknown what precipitated the loss of engine power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12