Cessna 152 accident near Cahokia, Illinois, August 5, 1990
On August 5, 1990 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757UX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cahokia, Illinois (St. Louis Downtown Parks airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1990 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St. Louis Downtown Parks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757UX · no longer on the register · serial 15280024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT WAS RETURNING FROM A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WAS REGAINED AND DURING THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE SETTLED ONTO ITS NOSE WITH THE NOSEGEAR BEING COLLAPSED.
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: student
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,967 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1990; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VLA Vandalia IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30R, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:33 pm from CPS, 1 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.