Cessna 152 accident near Ochopee, Florida, February 1, 1998
On February 1, 1998 at about 7:13 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94929, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ochopee, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
partial loss of engine power due to a fractured number 4 exhaust valve, which resulted in a forced landing; and the lack of sufficient airspeed to maneuver over power lines during an attempt to abort (go around from) an emergency landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with trees. Factors relating to the accident were: the owner/operator's failure to perform the engine manufacture's recommended overhaul at the recommended time, and high obstructions in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1998 · about 7:13 pm local time
- Place
- Ochopee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N94929 · no longer on the register · serial 15285814
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that at an altitude of about 2,000', the engine lost power & ran rough. He elected to land on a road that was perpendicular to a highway. The airplane was seen touching down on the road, but was heading towards the intersection of the road & highway, where the Sheriff's Department was working a motor vehicle accident. As the airplane approached the activity at the highway intersection, the pilot attempted to take off to avoid hitting vehicles & people. He entered a steep climb to avoid a power line, then the airplane descended nose first into trees. The pilot stated that where the airplane touched down on the road, it was 'slippery' which made it 'hard to stop.' As the airplane moved towards the highway, the pilot noticed that people were still on the road, so he tried to avoid hitting them by taking off & flying over the highway. The pilot said, '...unfortunately since we lost speed in the landing, we didn't have enough power and we stalled into the trees.' The engine was examined & partially torn down. The examination of the engine revealed that the #4 cylinder exhaust valve was broken off at the base of the stem & was found in the combustion chamber. The bottom part of the valve was retrieved from inside the muffler, along with pieces of the valve seat. Damage from the valve was found on the cylinder head & piston top. A hole was found in the top of the piston. Further examination of the broken valve stem revealed that it was pitted & corroded. In addition, the engine showed signs of having been operated at high temperatures for a considerable length of time. An external examination of the engine revealed corrosion on the exterior of the steel cylinder barrels. Paint on the cylinder heads was blistered & peeled. The ignition system harness was found worn & tattered. The engine log books revealed that the engine had been operated about 700 hours past the manufacture's recommended overhaul time.
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
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 14 in the last 30 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,445 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 13, 1998; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X01 Everglades City FL at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:20 pm from APF, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.