Cessna 150L accident near Sugar Grove, Illinois, July 2, 1989
On July 2, 1989 at about 8:43 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N16004, was destroyed in an accident near Sugar Grove, Illinois (Aurora Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE STALL SPEED, AND A STALL/SPIN ENCOUNTERED WITH INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THUNDERSTORM, PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING NOT OBTAINED AND POOR WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1989 · about 8:43 pm local time
- Place
- Sugar Grove, Illinois · Aurora Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N16004 · registry record · serial 15073403
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,620 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,359 as pilot in command; 933 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,015 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1989; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from ARR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.