Cessna 152 accident near York, South Carolina, August 3, 1989
On August 3, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5292M, was destroyed in an accident near York, South Carolina. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD (TASK OVERLOAD) AND DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- York, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5292M · registry record · serial 15284515
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING LOW ALTITUDE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING AT A LOW ALTITUDE AND DISAPPEAR BEHIND A TREE LINE. AIRCRAFT IMPACT GROUND IN NOSE LOW, LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PHOTOGRAPHY OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PILOT FLYING SOLO IN THE RIGHT SEAT WHILE DOING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A 35MM CAMERA.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 290 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,147 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 1989; 588 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 29J Rock Hill SC at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from CLT, 20 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.