Cessna 152 accident near Culpeper, Virginia, August 1, 1998
On August 1, 1998 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89074, was substantially damaged in an accident near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper CO 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
Failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. A related factor was wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1998 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper CO · 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
- N89074 · no longer on the register · serial 15282619
- 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, as he began the takeoff roll on runway 4, the airplane started to yaw to the left. He said the throttle was at full power, and he corrected with right rudder, but the airplane continued off the left side of the runway, onto the grass, struck a ditch and nosed over. He reported over 30 hours of total flight experience, including 17 hours in make and model, and 7 hours of solo flight experience. He also reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane or the engine. The reported weather at the time of the accident was winds from 020 at 10 knots with wind gusts to 14 knots.
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: 36 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,008 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 1998; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CJR at 5:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:40 pm from CJR
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.