Cessna 152 accident near Ina, Illinois, May 6, 1987
On May 6, 1987 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25991, was destroyed in an accident near Ina, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 1987 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Ina, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25991 · registry record · serial 15280901
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE THE FLT, THE PLT STATED HIS INTENTIONS WERE TO PRACTICE NGT LNDGS. HE TOOK OFF AT 2010 CDT WITH AN ESTD 1.5 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT RETURN, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WAS FND BY FISHERMEN, SUBMERGEDIN A LAKE APPROXIMATELY 15 MI SE OF THE ARPT. AFTER IT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LAKE, AN EXAM REVEALED CRUSHING DAMAGE ON THE NOSE OF THE ACFT & THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS. ALSO, THE NOSE GEAR SEPD, THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED TO THE REAR & THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS BENT DOWNWARD JUST AFT OF THE WINGS & MAIN GEAR. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND. A WITNESS AT A BOAT DOCK SAID HE SAW AN ACFT (MATCHING THE DESCRIPTION OF N25991) FLYING OVER THE LAKE AT ABOUT 2030 CDT. HE SAID THE ACFT WAS FLYING EXTREMELY LOW, THEN CLIMBED OVER TREES, TURNED TOWARD THE NE & BEGAN CLIMBING. HE DID NOT SEE THE ACFT AFTER THAT & ASSUMED IT WAS RTRNG TO THE ARPT. A PATHOLOGICAL EXAM OF THE PLT REVEALED EVIDENCE OF RECENT &OLD MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. THE CORONER BELIEVED THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS RELATED TO HIS CARDIOVASCULAR 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
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,270 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 5,864 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MVN Mt Vernon IL at 1:10 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from MVN, 13 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI87FA124.