Cessna 152 accident near Ogden, Utah, May 26, 1987
On May 26, 1987 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48590, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ogden, Utah (Ogden Municipal 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 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
- May 26, 1987 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ogden, Utah · Ogden Municipal · 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
- N48590 · registry record · serial 15280920
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT & CFI WERE PRACTICING SLOW FLT & STALLS. CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED BEFORE THE START OF EACH STALL SERIES. DURING THE RECOVERY FROM THE LAST STALL THE STUDENT PLT APPLIED ONLY PARTIAL PWR. THE CFI APPLIED FULL PWR & THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE CFI THEN INCREASED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. THE ENG RAN BETTER & RPM INCREASED ABOUT 150- 200 RPM FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE IT BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN AND THEN QUIT ENTIRELY. THE CFI STATED LATER THAT HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE PROP STOPPED AT 75-70 KTS IAS. THE CFI ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ACFT & MADE A FORCED LNDG IN A MARSHY AREA. THE ACFT WENT THROUGH A FENCE AND NOSED OVER. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATIONS.
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: 3,242 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 231 in the last 90 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,104 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 2, 1986; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ogden Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 16,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:33 pm from OGD, 9 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.