Cessna 152 accident near Olympia, Washington, September 18, 2005
On September 18, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49189, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olympia, Washington (Olympia Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of aircraft control during landing roll, and airplane's subsequent inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Olympia, Washington · Olympia Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49189 · registry record · serial 15281182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on runway 35 and his airspeed was "about 60 mph" as opposed to the desired 50 mph. He said that he touched down left of the centerline and was attempting to manipulate the airplane back to centerline. He said that a gust of wind came from the left, and that along with his "over correction back to centerline" caused the left wing to rise up. Subsequently the right tire "blew out", the right wing contacted the runway, and the airplane "spun 180 degrees." The right wing tip was bent and wrinkled. The pilot had received his tailwheel endorsement on August 8, 2005. The Olympia Airport, Olympia, Washington, weather at 1254 reported the wind to be variable at 3 knots; the wind at 1354 was calm.
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: 980 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,106 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TIW Tacoma WA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: OLM Olympia WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,419 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from OLM
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.
Other NTSB records under N49189 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.