Cessna 152 accident near Oak Harbor, Washington, July 27, 2018
On July 27, 2018 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 152, registered N152LT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Oak Harbor, Washington (Aj Eisenberg airport). 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 student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2018 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oak Harbor, Washington · Aj Eisenberg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 No Series, built 1981 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N152LT · registry record · serial 15285262
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, his first solo flight was conducted at an airport that he was not familiar with and he was "very nervous." Although his flight instructor had a hand-held two-way radio to communicate with the student, the instructor's two-way radio malfunctioned, and the student was not able to communicate with the instructor during the flight in the traffic pattern. On final, the student noticed that the airplane was "getting too low, too fast and I added power." When he felt the landing was assured, he reduced the power, and the airplane bounced. He added that the airplane bounced again and, "I knew something was up but at the moment I froze." The nose landing gear wheel struck the runway hard and separated from the airplane, and it then skidded to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts and the right wing. The instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had provided more training to address the changes in performance given that he weighed 235 lbs and that he was not occupying the right front seat during the solo flight. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal 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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Mental/emotional state › Anxiety/panic › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,057 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,669 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 8,196 hours total
- Operator: Regal Air
The flight
- Departed from: OKH Oak Harbor WA at 6:25 pm
- Destination: OKH Oak Harbor WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25, 3,265 ft by 25 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KOKH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 22, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.