Cessna 152 accident near Oliver Springs, Tennessee, November 27, 1987
On November 27, 1987 at about 8:52 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N98BS, was destroyed in an accident near Oliver Springs, Tennessee (Oak Ridge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- November 27, 1987 · about 8:52 pm local time
- Place
- Oliver Springs, Tennessee · Oak Ridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N98BS · registry record · serial 15284731
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD DEPTD FROM A SMALL AIRPORT NR KINGSTON, TN MID AFTERNOON AND HAD LANDED AT ANOTHER ABOUT 30 NMI TO THE NE. HE REMAINED ON THE GROUND 30-45 MIN DEPARTING BETWEEN 1530-1545. ACCORDING TO INFO GATHERED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY OVER THE OAK RIDGE AIRPORT, 15 NMI W, FROM W TO E, MAKE A LEFT TURN TO A LOW DOWNWIND, AND DURING A LEFT TURN TO FINAL, COLLIDE WITH UNMARKED TRANSMISSION LINES AND CRASH INTO THE TREES ABOUT ONE MILE N OF THE TURF RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE PLT WAS FLYING FROM THE RT SEAT. THE NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR THE PVT AIRSTRIP IS EXTENDED ACROSS A RIDGE, LEFT TURN TO BASE AND FLY THE FINAL THROUGH A GAP IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE AIRPORT IS SHOWN ON THE ATL VFR CHART AS A PVT FLD NOT FOR PUBLIC USE. THE AOPA AIRPORT DIRECTORY LIST OBSTRUCTIONS AS 'HILLS, MOUNTAINS,POWERLINES.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 2,090 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,026 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 17, 1987; 249 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9A2 Knoxvlle TN at 8:40 pm
- Destination: TN08 Oak Ridge TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from TYS, 20 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.
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.