Cessna 152 accident near Urbana, Illinois, December 27, 1998
On December 27, 1998 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5527L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Urbana, Illinois (Frasca Field). 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 not maintaining the proper descent rate on final approach, and the certified flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 1998 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Urbana, Illinois · Frasca Field · 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
- N5527L · no longer on the register · serial 152284338
- 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 on final approach to the runway. The airplane was stabilized at 65 knots descending through 20 to 50 feet agl, with a 20 knot headwind, when the student pilot suddenly pushed the control yoke full forward. The instructor pilot reacted by pulling the yoke back to raise the nose of the airplane, and adding power. The airplane was too close to the ground to recover, and impacted in a slight nose up attitude. 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
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,367 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,323 as pilot in command; 917 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,188 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 1998; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C16 at 4:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,546 ft by 140 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CMI, 7 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.