Cessna 152 accident near Red Owl, South Dakota, April 21, 2003
On April 21, 2003 at about 2:44 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N93564, was substantially damaged in an accident near Red Owl, South Dakota (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining aircraft control during initial climb-out, resulting in the encountered stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2003 · about 2:44 am local time
- Place
- Red Owl, South Dakota · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N93564 · no longer on the register · serial 15285515
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses described the airplane departing a private airstrip, enter a turn and then suddenly descend to the ground in a nose-down/tail-up attitude. The student pilot reported that he had no memory of the accident flight. The pilot's last 90-day solo endorsement was on September 20, 2002. He reported his total flight time as 125.4 hours, of which 112.7 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. No anomalies were found with the airframe or the engine that could be associated with any pre-impact condition.
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
- Flight time: 125 hours in all; 113 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,506.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2003; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Red Owl SD
- Destination: PVT Red Owl SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from D07, 33 miles away
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.