Cessna 152 accident near Swanton, Vermont, August 10, 1988
On August 10, 1988 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757LD, suffered minor damage in an accident near Swanton, Vermont (Franklin County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1988 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Swanton, Vermont · Franklin County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757LD · no longer on the register · serial 15279817
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK THE PASSENGER (HIS WIFE) ON A SHORT FLT, WHICH WAS HER 1ST FLT. SHE WAS DESCRIBED AS APPREHENSIVE. BEFORE GOING BACK TO THE PARKING AREA AFTER LANDING, THE PLT TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL BLDG FOR HIS WIFE TO DEPLANE. HE STOPPED THE ACFT WITH THE LEFT WING TOWARD THE BLDG & WITH THE ENG STILL RUNNING. THE PLT SAID HE ADVISED HIS WIFE TO WALK WIDE OF THE PROPELLER. HOWEVER, AFTER SHE EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, SHE DUCKED UNDER THE WING STRUT & WALKED INTO THE TURNING PROPELLER BEFORE SHE COULD BE STOPPED OR BEFORE THE ENGINE COULD BE SHUT DOWN. A WITNESS RPRTD THE PASSENGER WAS IN A HURRY.
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: 125 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 1988; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- 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.