Cessna 152 accident near Talladega, Alabama, June 27, 1996
On June 27, 1996 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N95396, was destroyed in an accident near Talladega, Alabama. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to see-and-avoid an antenna that was mounted on a Forest Service watch tower. The pilot's excessively low altitude flight was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1996 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Talladega, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95396 · no longer on the register · serial 152-85882
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During flight, the airplane collided with an 18 foot section of an antenna that was installed on top of a U.S. Forest Service fire watch tower. The airplane then crashed about 300 feet north of the tower, and wreckage was found scattered over an area approximately 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. The airplane wreckage and engine compartment were further damaged by ground fire. Debris from the watch tower antenna was located in the main wreckage, and some antenna debris was also found several feet north of the main wreckage. No preimpact mechanical problem was found.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,325 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1995; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CHA Chattanooga TN at 11:51 am
- Destination: MGM Montgomery AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from AND, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.