Cessna 152 accident near Burlington, North Carolina, September 20, 1998
On September 20, 1998, a Cessna 152, registered N48195, was destroyed in an accident near Burlington, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff after recognizing that the airplane was slow to accelerate during the takeoff roll, and his not obtaining/maintaining clearance with the wire during the forced landing. Contributing factors were carburetor icing conditions, the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat while performing touch-and-go landings, and the wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1998
- Place
- Burlington, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N48195 · no longer on the register · serial 15283299
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew to a nearby airport and performed 5 full-stop taxi back landings, all without using carburetor heat. He then circled his father's house 2 times, and flew to another nearby airport where he performed 2 simulated engine failures in the traffic pattern by retarding the throttle to idle in each case. Each landing was just past the numbers of the 5,000 foot-long asphalt runway. During the second go-around, he noted that the airplane required about 2/3's of the runway to accelerate to 60 knots, but he continued the takeoff. He leveled off to accelerate then began to climb at the departure end of runway during which he noted that the tachometer was indicating 2,000 rpm. While at traffic pattern altitude, the engine began to surge. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing on an expressway and while descending, the airplane collided with a power line, followed by a vehicle, and then the ground. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The pilot reported only using carburetor heat during the engine run-up before the initial takeoff. Review of the pilot's operating handbook revealed carburetor heat is required to be applied before throttle reduction. Review of the icing probability chart revealed the conditions were favorable for serious icing with descent power.
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: 200 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,695 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 1998; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BUY NC at 11:50 pm
- Destination: TDF Roxboro NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from GSO, 24 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.