Cessna 152 accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, January 26, 2002
On January 26, 2002 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N47802, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma (Lake Murray State Park 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 instructor pilot's delayed go-around which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. A contributing factor to the accident was the instructor pilot's fatigued condition due to lack of sleep.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2002 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ardmore, Oklahoma · Lake Murray State Park · 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
- N47802 · no longer on the register · serial 15283252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot completed a simulated forced landing to a grass airstrip and then initiated a go-around. The airplane was climbing through 1,000 feet when the student's instructor again simulated an engine failure, and the student made an approach to a field. The flight instructor stated that the field selected by the student contained a ridgeline, and subsequently, he instructed the student to land in a suitable field adjacent to the ridgeline. The approach was accomplished with the carburetor heat on and the flaps retracted. The airplane was descending through 50 feet agl when the sink rate began to increase. The flight instructor advanced the throttle to full-power, turned the carburetor heat off, and initiated a go-around; however, a climb was not attained. Subsequently, the left wing contacted trees, and the airplane impacted the ground. The flight instructor reported that he had been ill during the day prior to the accident and had not slept during the night previous to the accident. He further reported that the accident could have been prevented by initiating recovery from the simulated forced landing at a higher altitude.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,015 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,930 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 15, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,254 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 12, 2001; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1F0 Ardmore OK at 3:50 pm
- Destination: 1F0
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from ADM, 3 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.
Other NTSB records under N47802 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.