Cessna 152 accident near Washington, Oklahoma, May 12, 1999
On May 12, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4608Q, was destroyed in an accident near Washington, Oklahoma. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin by the student pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4608Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285041
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane stalled & entered a spin (500 ft agl) as the student pilot applied 'excessive left rudder' during a practice emergency landing. The flight instructor performed the emergency spin recovery procedures & stopped the spin at low altitude. The airplane struck a tree, impacted an embankment, and burst into flames. The instructor reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft. In the student's opinion, the accident could have been prevented with 'proper maintenance.' He reported that the controls 'froze up.' All flight controls were accounted for at the accident site. Flight control continuity was established from the primary flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls. All cockpit flap controls and indicators were destroyed. Due to impact damage, flap cable continuity could not be established. Examination of the right flap drive indicated that the flaps were up. A review of the maintenance records revealed no open aircraft discrepancies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 550 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,348 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 26, 1999; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Airman Flight School, INC
The flight
- Departed from: OUN Norman OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from OKC, 19 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.
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.