Cessna 140 accident near Corona, California, December 26, 1988
On December 26, 1988 at about 8:14 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N89891, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California (Corona airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
- December 26, 1988 · about 8:14 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89891 · no longer on the register · serial 8936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND ABANDONED AT THE AIRPORT. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLIPPED OVER ON RUNWAY 25. THE SOLE OCCUPANT, A MALE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED BY THE OCCUPANT AND SEVERAL OTHER UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE TO A TIEDOWN AREA ON THE AIRPORT. A FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT ONE HALF HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE FAA INSPECTOR COULD NOT LOCATE THE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. 3 DAYS LATER THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN FROM THE AIRPORT BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON. THE AIRPLANE HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN SOLD. THE NEW OWNER HAS NOT RE-REGISTERED THE AIRPLANE. THE PRIOR REGISTERED OWNER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT OWNER.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.