Cessna 152 accident near Osteen, Florida, September 7, 1994
On September 7, 1994 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48938, was substantially damaged in an accident near Osteen, Florida (Lessler Field). It was a personal 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-IN-COMMAND'S DECISION TO LAND WITH EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED, AND FAILURE TO OBTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE ELECTRICAL SHORT WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1994 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Osteen, Florida · Lessler Field · 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
- N48938 · registry record · serial 15281060
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was in cruise flight when he smelled and observed smoke in the cockpit. The pilot entered left downwind at a private airfield and made a precautionary landing, landing long and fast. The airplane ran off the end of the runway. The pilot applied left rudder to avoid a ditch. The airplane collided with a tree, and spun around its vertical axis to the right 180 degrees before coming to a complete stop. Examination of the airplane revealed a melted insulator on the terminal ring connector attached to the oil temperature gauge.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 173 hours in all; 112 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 85 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFB Sanford FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: OMN Ormond Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 86°F (30°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:40 pm from SFB, 15 miles away
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.