Cessna 152 accident near Stillwater, Oklahoma, May 10, 1998
On May 10, 1998 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N67326, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stillwater, Oklahoma (Stillwater Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available 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
- May 10, 1998 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stillwater, Oklahoma · Stillwater Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N67326 · no longer on the register · serial 152-81756
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power during initial takeoff climb while at an estimated altitude of 60 to 80 feet above the ground. The pilot lowered the nose and made a slight turn to the left in an attempt to make an emergency landing in a field adjacent to the airport. The airplane touched down hard in a level attitude within the airport property, approximately 25 to 30 feet short of the airport perimeter fence. The airplane rolled on the ground for 2 or 3 seconds prior to going through a barbed wire fence, impacted a ditch with the nose wheel, and the nosed over. Examination of the fuel system revealed that water was present in the fuel gascolator, as well as in the right wing fuel cell. The fluid drained from the airplane was tested by an independent laboratory. The laboratory confirmed that the fluid was 'drinking water.'
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: 189 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 143 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,898 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 18, 1997; 42 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: SWO at 11:30 pm
- Destination: GOK Gutrie OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SWO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.