Cessna 152 accident near Norman, Oklahoma, February 20, 1998
On February 20, 1998 at about 9:06 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5128Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norman, Oklahoma. 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
Fuel exhaustion due to the student pilot's failure to refuel. 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
- February 20, 1998 · about 9:06 pm local time
- Place
- Norman, Oklahoma · 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
- N5128Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Three hours after beginning a solo cross country flight, the student pilot entered traffic for touch and go landings. On the second takeoff climb, at about 1,400 or 1,500 feet msl, the engine lost power. A forced landing was initiated to a road. The aircraft touched down towards the end of the road, and during the landing roll, the nose landing gear struck a curb and separated from the fuselage. Prior to preflight, the 76 hour student pilot called for the fuel truck. While he was in the airplane, the service person was on the ladder supposedly fueling the airplane. The service person got down from the ladder and told him the 'fuel was fine.' The student pilot did not verify the fuel level. The aircraft had been flown only one hour since it had been fueled two days prior. Examination of the fuel system revealed that it had not been compromised, and there was no usable fuel in either fuel tank. Both fuel gauges indicated zero. Five gallons of fuel was added to one of the fuel tanks and its corresponding fuel gauge indicated the proper amount of fuel.
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: 76 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,248 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 15 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: OUN at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from TIK, 9 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.