Cessna 152 accident near Douglasville, Georgia, October 28, 1998
On October 28, 1998 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25037, was destroyed in an accident near Douglasville, Georgia. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the no. 1 cylinder exhaust valve guide due to erosion, which resulted in separation of the exhaust valve head, loss of engine power, and collision with a power pole during a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1998 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Douglasville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25037 · no longer on the register · serial 15280510
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power and while making a forced landing in a field the aircraft collided with a power pole and then crashed on top of a pile of railroad ties. Postcrash examination of the engine showed the no. 1 exhaust valve guide and valve stem were eroded, the valve guide had partially separated due to progressive cracking, and the valve head had separated from the stem. The reason for the valve stem and guide erosion was not determined. The engine had accumulated 2,225 flight hours since the last major overhaul, at which time the valves and valve guides were replaced with new parts. The recommended overhaul interval for the engine is 2,400 flight hours.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 780 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,107 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1998; 82 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: 89A Palmetto GA at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from ATL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.