Cessna 152 accident near Harwinton, Connecticut, May 5, 1996
On May 5, 1996 at about 2:17 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25414, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harwinton, Connecticut (Mountain Meadows airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the operator's failure to eliminate water-contaminated fuel from the airplane, which resulted in the loss of engine power and collision with an obstacle during the forced landing. Also causal was an improperly maintained fuel storage facility.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 1996 · about 2:17 pm local time
- Place
- Harwinton, Connecticut · Mountain Meadows
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25414 · no longer on the register · serial 15280642
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Water was found in the fuel tanks during preflight, and additional draining was accomplished until no more water appeared. The pilots boarded the airplane and initiated a takeoff, at which time, the engine sputtered, and the takeoff was aborted. After the airplane cleared the runway, the engine lost total power; attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The airplane was pushed to the operator's hangar where the operator inspected the airplane. Additional water was found in the tanks, which was drained, then the engine was run. The operator said the airplane was, '...OK to fly...', and the pilots boarded the airplane for departure. Once they were airborne, about 200 feet high, the engine lost power. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a power line and descended to the ground where it nosed over. When the airplane was placed upright, additional water was found in the tanks. Examination of the fuel farm, where the airplane was refueled, revealed the filter was collapsed, and the fuel was contaminated with water. The FAA reported the operator did not have a fuel management program in place or the appropriate equipment to maintain a fuel farm. According to the airplane manufacturer, '...If excessive sampling is required, the recommended procedure is to completely defuel, drain and clean the airplane fuel system, and attempt to discover where and how the contamination originated before the airplane flys again....'
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 475 hours in all; 143 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 420 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,422 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 1996; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic Air
The flight
- Departed from: 22B at 2:16 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,420 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from HFD, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.