Cessna 152 accident near Greenville, Michigan, July 25, 1998
On July 25, 1998 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N623AF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Michigan (Greenville Municipal Arpt airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's delay in performing the abort, and the instructor pilot's failure to take control of the airplane before passing the end of the runway. A factor contributing to this accident was the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1998 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Michigan · Greenville Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N623AF · registry record · serial 15280841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was making the takeoff. The Instructor pilot said that just passing the crosswind runway intersection, mid-way down the runway, the airplane showed 40 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). After passing the intersection, the airplane started to lift off, but returned to the grass. The airspeed indicator again read 40 KIAS. The instructor pilot told the student to abort the takeoff. The instructor pilot said that he took control of the airplane just as they passed the end of the runway. The airplane crossed one ditch and stopped when it hit a second ditch. Inspection of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 264 as pilot in command; 147 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,940 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1998; 47 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: 6D6 Greenville MI at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PTK Pontiac MI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 1,750 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from AMN, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.