Cessna 152 accident near Lexington, North Carolina, August 7, 1985
On August 7, 1985 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48005, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, North Carolina (Lexington airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1985 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, North Carolina · Lexington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N48005 · no longer on the register · serial 15283266
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
STUDENT PILOT WAS ON SOLO FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT ANOTHER ACFT CALLED ON FINAL AS HE WAS ON RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF . UNSURE OF ACTION TO TAKE SINCE TAXIWAY BEHIND HIM WAS BLOCKED, HE RUSHED TAKEOFF. A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED. NOSE WAS RAISED, TAIL DRAGGED RUNWAY, STUDENT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND ACFT VEERED OFF RUNWAY TO LEFT. WITNESSES REPORTED 5-7KT LEFT CROSSWIND.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,300 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N48005 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.