What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed in a field and came to rest inverted. (.19)on December 17, 1998, at 1042 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N5314B, operated by the university of dubuque, dubuque, Iowa, was destroyed when it impacted the ground during an emergency landing. After impact, the airplane nosed over and burned. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. The 14 CFR part 91 flight had departed from the dubuque airport on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. (.4) the pilot reported the airplane was experiencing a degradation of power while practicing touch and go landings at an outlying field. He decided to fly back to the original departure airport, 21 miles away. He did not indicate over the radio what kind of problem the airplane was experiencing. He attempted to execute a forced landing. A ground witness reported the airplane barely cleared powerlines as it followed the contours of a field. He reported the airplane was flying low and slow at about 50 feet when it nosedived and flipped over and started burning. The main wreckage was located 80 feet from the initial ground scar on a heading of 080 degrees. The WI ND was from 250 degrees at 8 knots. The right wingtip ahd leading edge crush marks. The left wing's leading edge was crushed from the strut attach point to the wingtip. The cabin was destroyed by fire. The propeller blades were undamaged except for forward bending at the blade tips. The right and left magnetos received fire damage. The engine teardown and airframe inspection revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED IN A FIELD AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. (.19)ON DECEMBER 17, 1998, AT 1042 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N5314B, OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE, DUBUQUE, IOWA, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND BURNED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE DUBUQUE AIRPORT ON A LOCAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING A DEGRADATION OF POWER WHILE PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT AN OUTLYING FIELD. HE DECIDED TO FLY BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEPARTURE AIRPORT, 21 MILES AWAY. HE DID NOT INDICATE OVER THE RADIO WHAT KIND OF PROBLEM THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING. HE ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A FORCED LANDING. A GROUND WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRPLANE BARELY CLEARED POWERLINES AS IT FOLLOWED THE CONTOURS OF A FIELD. HE REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING LOW AND SLOW AT ABOUT 50 FEET WHEN IT NOSEDIVED AND FLIPPED OVER AND STARTED BURNING. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED 80 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR ON A HEADING OF 080 DEGREES. THE WI ND WAS FROM 250 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. THE RIGHT WINGTIP AHD LEADING EDGE CRUSH MARKS. THE LEFT WING'S LEADING EDGE WAS CRUSHED FROM THE STRUT ATTACH POINT TO THE WINGTIP. THE CABIN WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE UNDAMAGED EXCEPT FOR FORWARD BENDING AT THE BLADE TIPS. THE RIGHT AND LEFT MAGNETOS RECEIVED FIRE DAMAGE. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN AND AIRFRAME INSPECTION REVEALED NO PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.