Cessna 152 accident near West Lafayette, Indiana, September 21, 1998
On September 21, 1998 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94286, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Lafayette, Indiana (Purdue University Airport). It was a personal 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the touch and go takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1998 · about 10:45 pm local time · cases in 1998
- Place
- West Lafayette, Indiana · Purdue University Airport · cases near this airport · 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
- N94286 · registry record · serial 15285639
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was performing a touch and go. During the maneuver, he landed hard. During the takeoff, at approximately 40 to 45 knots, the airplane quickly swerved to the left. The student pilot said that he 'stepped on the right rudder and tried to control the airplane, but couldn't.' The airplane went through the grass, hit the nose and stopped. Examination 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
- Flight time: 29 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,655 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 1998; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAF at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,226 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from LAF, 1 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N94286 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Purdue University Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Indiana 1,367 since 1982 · 179 in the last ten years
- Indiana 5,700 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI98LA359.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.