Cessna 152 accident near West Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 1989
On April 15, 1989 at about 12:51 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N93748, was destroyed in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INSTRUCTION BY THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REGARDING THE EXECUTION OF S-TURNS ON FINAL APPROACH TO INCREASE SPACING AND THE RETRACTION OF FLAPS FULLY WHEN EXECUTING A GO-AROUND AND THE FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FLYING SPEED WHILE MAKING STEEP S-TURNS ON FINAL APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE ATC CONTROL TOWER SERVICE AND TRAFFIC SEPARATION, IMPROPER SUPERVISION IN THE TOWER, AND INEXPERIENCE OF THE STUDENT PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1989 · about 12:51 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N93748 · no longer on the register · serial 15285546
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
STUDENT IN CESSNA 152 (N93748) WAS SEQUENCED TO LND BHND N97M AS BEECH 90 (N20) WAS AWAITING TKOF. AS N97M WAS LNDG, N20 WAS CLRD ON RWY TO HOLD & THE STUDENT WAS CLRD TO LND. 39 SEC LTR, N20 WAS CLRD FOR TKOF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, N93748STALLED AND CRASHED APRX 580' SHORT OF THE RWY. WITNESSES SAID THE STUDENT FLEW FM A CLOSE BASE TO A SHORT FINAL APCH, THEN MADE 2 OR 3 STEEP S-TURNS AT LOW SPEED, AS IF TO GET MORE SEPN BHND N20. TOWER SUPVSR (CIC) OBSERVED INADQT SEPN BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO CORRECT IT. WITNESSES SAID N20 WAS HOLDING ON THE RWY WHEN THE STUDENT BEGAN S-TURNING. BFR TKOF, THE PLT OF N93748 TOLD GND CTL SHE WAS A STUDENT. THIS INFO WAS NOT PASSED TO LCL CTLRS. LCL CTLR WAS IN TRNG. NEITHER HE NOR HIS INSTRUCTOR KNEW THE PLT OF N93748 WAS A STUDENT. AIM RCMDD STUDENT ID ON INITIAL CALL TO RDO FAC. BUT, ATC HNDBK DIDN'T REQUIRE INFO TO BE FWDD. FLAPS WERE FND AT 10 DEG; STUDENT WAS TRND TO USE FULL FLAPS AND USE S-TURNS ON FINAL FOR SPACING, AND TO RAISE FLAPS FULL UP FOR GO-ARND; POH RCMDD 20 DEG OF FLAPS UNTIL SAFE SPEED WAS OBTAINED.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 33 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,152 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 12, 1989; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Planemaster INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DPA at 2:19 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 am from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.