Cessna 152 accident near Cornelia, Georgia, October 28, 1999
On October 28, 1999 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5389Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cornelia, Georgia (Habersham County 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 pilot misjudged the flare, causing the airplane to porpoise, and subsequently impact with the runway
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1999 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cornelia, Georgia · Habersham County · 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
- N5389Q · registry record · serial 15285107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight, and upon landing at the destination airport the student pilot over controlled the airplane and it began to porpoise. The airplane then descended in a nose-low attitude until the propeller struck the runway, causing the nose gear to break off. The airplane continued to skid down the runway, departed the runway to the left, then returned to the runway, coming to rest near the centerline. No discrepancies were found with either the airframe or engine. At the time of the accident the pilot had a total of 67.8 flight hours.
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: 68 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 1999; 242 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GYH Greenville SC at 8:30 pm
- Destination: AJR
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 6, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from GMU
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.