Cessna 152 accident near Hillsville, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1988
On August 1, 1988 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4609L, was destroyed in an accident near Hillsville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WHICH RESULTED IN AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1988 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4609L · registry record · serial 15284197
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF AND AT ABOUT 2,000 FEET A.G.L., THE RENTED AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS. THE PILOT SELECTED AN OPEN FIELD IN WHICH TO LAND. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED 7 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY. A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE GASCOLATOR; HOWEVER, THE CARB WAS EMPTY. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
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: Youngstown OH at 1:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.