- Date
- August 21, 1984, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mercer, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5545LCessna 152II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840821074929A
- Case key
- 35752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During takeoff from ballard field the engine lost partial power. The acft struck a power line during descent, abruptly losing airspeed, and then striking the ground. Post accident investigation revealed the engine spark plug gaps were too wide.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5545L
- Reported as
- Cessna 152II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284348
- Airframe hours
- 1,453
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Condor Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 20, 1983 · 18 hours before
- Destination
- 8G7 · Zelienople, PA
- Airport
- 22PN · Ballard Fld.
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,384 total · 94 in this make and model · 3,873 as pilot in command · 208 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 30,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5545L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.