Cessna 152 accident near Norman, Oklahoma, January 21, 2003
On January 21, 2003 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N47257, was destroyed in an accident near Norman, Oklahoma. It was an aerial observation 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 failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in an inadvertent stall . Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude and the prevailing high winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2003 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Norman, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N47257 · no longer on the register · serial 152-83200
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 3,300-hour commercial pilot lost control of the airplane while circling an area of disturbed dirt along the path of a buried pipeline during an aerial observation flight (pipeline patrol). The operator reported that pipeline patrolling is normally performed from an altitude of 400 to 500 feet above the ground. The range of the airplane, when all tanks are full of fuel is 6 hours; however, the company procedures are to not exceed 4 hours between refueling stops. The operator reported that the pipeline being patrolled at the time of the accident was aligned on a heading of 50-60 degrees. The prevailing winds at the time of the accident were reported from 030 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The hand-held GPS on-board the airplane provided the track of the airplane to impact with the ground. No anomalies were found with the airframe or engine that could have prevented normal flight operation.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,039 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 15, 2002; 10,039 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHK Chickasha OK at 5:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:30 pm from OUN
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.