Cessna 152 accident near Orson, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1995
On August 25, 1995 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6391M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orson, 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
The pilot's improper planning/decision, and his delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a pile of dirt and shrubs. The upsloping terrain (for takeoff) was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1995 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Orson, Pennsylvania
- 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
- N6391M · no longer on the register · serial 15284705
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot misidentified a farm pasture as a privately owned airport. After realizing he had landed at the wrong place, he attempted a take-off. The pilot stated he decided to takeoff upwind and uphill, instead of downhill and downwind. After lift-off, the pilot determined that the airplane would not clear trees, and he aborted the takeoff. He landed and applied brakes, but the airplane struck a pile of dirt and shrubs about eight to ten feet high. It came to rest in a nose down attitude. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,328 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 922 as pilot in command; 225 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 1995; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 39N Princeton NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 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.