Cessna 152 accident near Shamokin, Pennsylvania, May 6, 2006
On May 6, 2006 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4732Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shamokin, Pennsylvania (Northumberland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to recover from a bounced landing, and her improper use of flaps during an aborted landing, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2006 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shamokin, Pennsylvania · Northumberland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4732Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Cessna 152 was landing on a 3,297-foot-long runway. She reported that when the airplane touched down, it began to porpoise. She was not able to correct the bouncing, and elected to abort the landing. The pilot stated she "panicked" when she observed trees located off the end of the runway, and mistakenly retracted the flaps completely. The airplane climbed slowly, and impacted trees off the left side of the runway. It then nosed over, and impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot reported 140 hours of total flight experience, which included about 120 hours in the same make and model.
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: 140 hours in all; 120 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,825 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N10 Collegeville PA
- Destination: N79 Shamokin PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 3,297 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from SEG, 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.