Cessna 152 accident near Ithaca, Nebraska, August 12, 2002
On August 12, 2002 at about 1:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49998, was destroyed in an accident near Ithaca, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional flight of the airplane into terrain in an act of suicide.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2002 · about 1:20 pm local time
- Place
- Ithaca, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49998 · no longer on the register · serial 15281434
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During low level maneuvering, the airplane impacted corn stalks and terrain in a 30-degree nose down attitude. Witnesses stated the pilot rented the airplane for a local flight. One witness noticed the pilot had not preflighted the airplane, and then sat in the airplane for approximately 30 minutes prior to departure. According to recorded radar data, a target was depicted departing the airport area and proceeding to the north. The target had executed a series of turns between an altitude of 1,600 and 1,800 feet msl before disappearing. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that could have prevented normal flight operations. A local law enforcement official stated the pilot was the subject of an on-going criminal investigation. Numerous people who knew the pilot reported to the official that the pilot would kill himself by intentionally crashing an airplane before he would go to jail.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 51 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,264.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 22, 2002; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Silverhawk Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LNK Lincoln NE at 12:18 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from LNK, 22 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.
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.