Cessna 152 accident near College Place, Washington, February 26, 1997
On February 26, 1997, a Cessna 152, registered N48965, was substantially damaged in an accident near College Place, Washington (Martin Field). It was an instructional 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 certified flight instructor's improper in-flight decision to continue the landing attempt and not perform a go-around, her failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and her failure to apply proper remedial action. A contributing factor was the presence of a dirt bank at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1997
- Place
- College Place, Washington · Martin Field · 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
- N48965 · no longer on the register · serial 15281077
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot intended on landing on a 2,600-foot paved airstrip. During the final approach, the airplane was high on the glide path, so the CFI placed it into a slip. As the airplane approached the runway, it continued to float above it. The CFI elected not to perform a balked landing and attempted to land the airplane on the remaining runway length. The airplane touched down on the opposite end of the runway and the CFI applied the brakes. The airplane continued to roll beyond the end of the runway onto soft terrain. It impacted a dirt berm, nosed over, flipped inverted, and was substantially damaged. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot.
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: 354 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 271 as pilot in command; 61 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1997; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALW Walla Walla WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: S95
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,600 ft by 35 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from ALW, 6 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.
Other NTSB records under N48965 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.