Cessna 152 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, October 5, 1983
On October 5, 1983 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N93844, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks Intn'L 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1983 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks Intn'L · 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
- N93844 · no longer on the register · serial 15285560
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY AND NOSED OVER IN THE SOFT GRASS DURING LANDING. THE CFI AND STUDENT HAD BEEN PRACTICING CROSSWIND LANDINGS ON RWY 26 WITH THE WIND FROM 290 DEGREES AT 11 KTS. AFTER THE LANDINGS THE CFI GOT OUT OF ACFT SO THAT THE STUDENT COULD CONTINUED AS SOLO. ONCE AIRBORNE THE TOWER CHANGED THE LANDING RUNWAY TO 35. THE STUDENT ACCEPTED THE CHANGE AND WAS LANDING VERY WELL ON THE 1ST SOLO LANDING UNTIL THE NOSE GEAR WAS LOWERED. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT VEERED OFF AND NOSED OVER. THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR SAID 'THE CROSSWIND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY THE TOWER AND PLT. ALSO THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL SHOULD BE MORE AWARE OF WIND AND WEATHER AND HOW THEY AFFECT ACFT PRIOR TO A DECISION TO DO ARPT CHECKS. CONTINUED USE OF RWY 26 MAY HAVE AVOIDED THIS ACCIDENT'.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 844 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 14, 1983
- 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 35, 7,349 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from GFK
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.
Other NTSB records under N93844 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.