Cessna 152 accident near Williston, Florida, June 30, 2005
On June 30, 2005, a Cessna 152, registered N5372L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williston, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate weather evaluation by the pilot-in-command which resulted in the in-flight encounter with rain and thunder that resulted in a precautionary landing and subsequent on-ground collision with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2005
- Place
- Williston, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5372L · no longer on the register · serial 15284304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while en route after passing the Cross City VOR, he and the pilot-rated-passenger determined it was time to refuel. When the flight was between Bronson and Williston, the weather conditions started to deteriorate which necessitated him to perform a "forced" landing. He performed a low pass over a field to check for objects or obstacles, and after landing, he applied the brakes but the airplane wanted to "…turn harshly, so I didn't use any to keep the plane from flipping." He first recognized a barbed wire fence when the airplane was on the ground, and approximately 30 feet before it. The propeller and landing gear contacted the barbwire fence, but the damage to the airplane occurred during the on-ground collision with a ditch.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 195 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 98 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air America Flight Center
The flight
- Departed from: KJKA Gulf Shores AL
- Destination: KDAB Daytona Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.