Cessna 152 accident near Lufkin, Texas, July 14, 1997
On July 14, 1997 at about 8:06 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5238H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lufkin, Texas. It was an instructional 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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the student pilot becoming disoriented. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1997 · about 8:06 pm local time
- Place
- Lufkin, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5238H · registry record · serial 15284071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a solo cross country flight from Waco, Texas, to the Angelina Airport near Lufkin, Texas, the student pilot became disoriented. She located and identified the town of Buffalo, confirmed fuel on board, and continued east towards Lufkin. As she neared Lufkin, she once again became disoriented. She flew past the Angelina Airport; however, she did not see it. She also did not use the Lufkin VORTAC to help locate the airport. The engine lost power approximately 16 nautical miles northeast of the Angelina Airport, about 3 hours and 26 minutes after takeoff. During a forced landing to a small field, the aircraft struck some trees, and came to a stop on its nose. Examination of the aircraft's fuel system revealed no evidence of fuel. The pilot reported that she 'ran out of fuel.' A test run of the engine was accomplished on July 17, 1997. With the throttle full open, the indicated rpm was 2,350. A magneto check was performed, and the rpm drop on both the left and right magnetos was 75 rpm.
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: student
- Flight time: 84 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1997; 107 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: National Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: ACT Waco TX at 4:40 pm
- Destination: LFK TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.