Cessna 152 accident near Lansing, Illinois, July 19, 1990
On July 19, 1990 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5538P, was destroyed in an accident near Lansing, Illinois (Lansing Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INSTRUCTOR'S INABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE DURING ITS LANDING ROLL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1990 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Illinois · Lansing Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5538P · registry record · serial 15284971
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FINAL APPROACH THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN LEFT OF THE SOD RUNWAY'S CENTERLINE. THE CFI MADE AN IMPROPER CORRECTION TO RE-ESTABLISH RUNWAY CENTERLINE POSITION. THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE LIP OF AN INTERSECTING RUNWAY'S EDGE. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP IN A DITCH.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command; 380 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 1,607 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Management CORP.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,322 ft by 77 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.