Cessna 152 accident near Wonder Lake, Illinois, February 26, 1991
On February 26, 1991 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49485, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wonder Lake, Illinois (Galt 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
FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF. HER LACK OF FLYING EXPEREINCE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1991 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Wonder Lake, Illinois · Galt · 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
- N49485 · no longer on the register · serial 15281304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING HER THIRD OF THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS DURING HER FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. THE RUNWAY WAS 3100 FEET IN LENGTH BY 36 FEET IN WIDTH. DURING THE THIRD TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL, THE AIRPLANE YAWED LEFT AND DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CROSSED A SOD CLEARWAY AND TAXIWAY, THEN COLLIDED WITH A PLOWED FIELD. WINDS IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT WERE FROM THE WEST/SOUTHWEST AT 6 AND 12 KNOTS.
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: 27 hours in all; 27 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,100 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:49 pm from UGN, 23 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.