Cessna 152 accident near Dothan, Alabama, June 25, 1987
On June 25, 1987 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N45994, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dothan, Alabama (Wheelless 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
- June 25, 1987 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dothan, Alabama · Wheelless · 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
- N45994 · no longer on the register · serial 15282979
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMM PLT HELD A HELICOPTER RATING AND WAS TRAINING FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT SINGLE-ENGINE-LAND RATING. HE HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 10 HOURS IN FIXED WING AIRCRAFT WITH 6 HOURS AS PIC. THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED TWO LANDINGS AND ON THE THIRDAPPROACH STATED HE WAS HIGH ON FINAL. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH, LANDED HARD, BOUNCED AT LEAST TWICE AND ON THE THIRD BOUNCE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE MAIN GEAR AND THE NOSE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 789 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,133 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 29, 1987; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dothan Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from DHN, 6 miles away
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 N45994 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.