Cessna 152 accident near Leesburg, Florida, June 22, 2008
On June 22, 2008 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757HA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Leesburg, Florida (Leesburg Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 3 connecting rod cap due to oil starvation. Contributing to the accident was the contamination of the engine oil.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2008 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Florida · Leesburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757HA · registry record · serial 15279742
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, 12 minutes into the flight, he noticed that the rpm began to decrease after climbing through 1,900 feet. He said that he applied carburetor heat, but the engine "froze" seconds later, and made an off field emergency landing. During the examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a Teledyne Lycoming engine representative it was revealed that the No. 3 connecting rod was detached from the crankshaft and was heat damaged. The engine was found to contain rust corrosion. Over time this leads to oil contamination and dirt particle embedment on the bearings. When bearings clearances decrease, this in affect can cause oil starvation. Review of maintenance records revealed that the engine was field overhauled on May 21, 2001. At the time of the overhaul, the engine had a total time of 3,552.6 hours. On April 18, 2008, during the annual inspection, it showed a total time of 1036.8 hours since overhaul.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 598 hours in all; 569 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 547 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,340 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FA83 Zellwood FL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: OCF Ocala FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KLEE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N757HA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.