Cessna 152 accident near Madisonville, Tennessee, February 28, 2022
On February 28, 2022 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 152, registered N68218, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Madisonville, Tennessee (Monroe County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2022 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Madisonville, Tennessee · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1978 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68218 · no longer on the register · serial 15282192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During descent, after a short local flight, the engine lost partial power. The pilot advanced the throttle and turned on the carburetor heat; however, power was not restored to the engine. He performed a forced landing to a wet, grassy field. The main landing gear wheels locked up and the airplane contacted a tree stump during the landing roll. Although a review of the maintenance records revealed the airplane’s engine had not been overhauled in 24 years, exceeding the recommended engine overhaul time of 12 years, a postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Owner/builder
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Time limits › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 542 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 496 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 8, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,598 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 12, 2021; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 5,598 hours total
- Operator: Monroe County Flyers And Aircraft Sales
The flight
- Departed from: MNV Madisonville TN at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from TYS, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTYS 282253Z 00000KT 10SM SCT250 13/M10 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP207 T01331100
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2023. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination Mfr | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Lycoming Service Instruction | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.