Cessna 152 accident near Waukegan, Illinois, June 20, 1987
On June 20, 1987 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94739, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois (Waukegan Reg. airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- June 20, 1987 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Waukegan, Illinois · Waukegan Reg. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N94739 · no longer on the register · serial 15285777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH JUST PAST THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 32 AT ABOUT 10 FEET AGL, A HELICOPTER CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE CESSNA 152. THE STUDENT PILOT ADDED POWER AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT THEN TOOK THE CONTROLS AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE NOSE DOWN AND WINGS LEVEL BUT THE PLANE STRUCK THE GROUND.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 776 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 610 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 11, 1987; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Trans-Air Corporation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,750 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.