Cessna 152 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, February 6, 1989
On February 6, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89038, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CORRECT A GROUND LOOP SWERVE. A LACK OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks · 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
- N89038 · registry record · serial 15282606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO. AFTER LANDING ON RWY 26, A 4,300 X 100 FT CONCRETE RWY, THE PLT ADDED POWER AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO TURN LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE. RIGHT RUDDER WAS APPLIED BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE LEFT TURN. THE ACFT CONTACTED A SNOW BANK AND GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT. THE ACFT CAME TO REST OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY.
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: 9 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,938 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 14, 1988; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: University Of North Dakota
The flight
- Departed from: GFK at 9:15 pm
- Destination: GFK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N89038 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN89LA073.