Cessna 152 accident near Miltonfreewater, Oregon, July 14, 1998
On July 14, 1998 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24823, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miltonfreewater, Oregon. 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 pilots failure to maintain proper terrain clearance. Factors contributing to the accident are high density altitude and rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1998 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Miltonfreewater, Oregon · 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
- N24823 · registry record · serial 15280399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while flying in mountainous rising terrain, 'I decided that the terrain around us are [sic] rising rather quickly so I started to climb. As I was climbing [the] airplane wasn't performing too well due to high density altitude. Since I was surrounded by valley a turn was not my option.' He further reported that, 'I decided to fly straight without losing anymore airspeed, [and] I impacted [a] series of trees at [the] very top of the hill,' followed by ground impact. The calculated density altitude at the accident site (4,200 feet above sea level) was 6,861 feet.
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: 225 hours in all; 192 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 70 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,628 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 1998; 9 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
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.