Cessna 152 accident near Auburn, Washington, November 7, 1998
On November 7, 1998 at about 11:33 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6312P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Washington (Auburn Municipal 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
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice formation. Factors included insufficient altitude/time available for remedial action, a tail wind during the forced landing attempt, and a fence 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
- November 7, 1998 · about 11:33 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Washington · Auburn Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6312P · no longer on the register · serial 15284998
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing out from a touch-and-go landing, the airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power approximately 300 feet above ground level. The instructor took the controls and performed a 180-degree turn back to an opposite direction landing attempt on the departure runway, in order to avoid going into high-tension lines 1,660 feet from the departure end. There was approximately a 15-knot tail wind for the opposite-direction forced landing attempt. The airplane touched down approximately at midfield at high speed, overran the end of the runway, struck a fence and nosed over. Weather conditions in the area at that time posed a hazard of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. The accident aircraft's engine was successfully test-run after the accident.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 700 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,648 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 3, 1998; 12 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: S50 at 10:33 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from RNT, 10 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 N6312P 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.