Cessna 152 accident near Wakefield, Virginia, July 25, 2019
On July 25, 2019 at about 3:40 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N47028, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Wakefield, Virginia (Wakefield Municipal 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 pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to detect and remove all water from fuel, and maintenance personnel’s unapproved repair of the right wing fuel cap, which resulted in fuel contamination and a subsequent partial loss of engine power during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2019 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Wakefield, Virginia · Wakefield Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N47028 · registry record · serial 15283159
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the preflight inspection, the pilot sampled the fuel from the right main fuel tank seven times until no water was present in the sample. He also checked the airplane’s left main fuel tank, fuel strainer, and a belly sump and there was no water in those samples. He flew uneventfully to a nearby airport where he intended to perform practice touch and go landings. During the takeoff phase of the first practice touch-and-go landing, the airplane was flying about 25 ft above ground level when the engine sputtered. The pilot landed the airplane on the remaining portion of the runway near the departure end, then because there was insufficient runway to stop, he turned the airplane left. The airplane impacted a perimeter fence before coming to rest upright. The fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. Examination of the airplane revealed water in fuel samples recovered from the carburetor, the belly sump, and the firewall sump, which indicates that water was still present in the fuel system following the pilot’s preflight inspection. The examination also revealed a gray putty substance around the right wing fuel cap gasket, which did not appear to be an approved repair. Additionally, before the day of the accident, the airplane sat outside in rain. Given this information, it is likely that rainwater leaked into the fuel system throught he improperly sealing right wing tank fuel cap.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel contamination during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 235 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 134 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,685 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2019; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,669 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 6,638 hours total
- Operator: Norfolk Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: AKQ Wakefield VA at 3:40 pm
- Destination: AKQ Wakefield VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,337 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from AKQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 3, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.