Cessna 152 accident near Alton, Illinois, November 8, 1984
On November 8, 1984 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94494, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alton, Illinois (Louis Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1984 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Alton, Illinois · Louis Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N94494 · no longer on the register · serial 15285691
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A SOLO TRAINING FLT, THE STUDENT PLT FLEW FROM CENTRALIA TO ALTON, IL, & ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND ONRWY 11. THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 170 DEG AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS. DURING THE APCH, THE ACFT WAS BLOWN TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY WHERE IT TOUCHED DOWN. DUE TO RECENT CONSTRUCTION, THERE WAS AN AREA OF SOFT DIRT BESIDE THE RWY. THE STUDENT STATED THAT THE LEFT GEAR WENT OFF THE RWY INTO THE SOFT TERRAIN & THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER.
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
- Flight time: 24 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,023 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 18, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENL Centralia IL at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 11, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:04 pm from ALN
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.
Other NTSB records under N94494 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.