Cessna 152 accident near Crookston, Minnesota, February 13, 1989
On February 13, 1989 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N95975, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crookston, Minnesota (Kirkwood Fld airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PREMATURE RAISING OF FLAPS AND THE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO AROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 1989 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Crookston, Minnesota · Kirkwood Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95975 · no longer on the register · serial 15285994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT HAD COMPLETED 3 TOUCH AND GOES WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT THE CFI WAS GOING TO FLY JUST ABOVE THE RUNWAY TO ASSIST THE STUDENT JUDGE HIS FLARE HEIGHT. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND A GO AROUND MANUEVER WAS INITIATED. THE STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER AND THE CFI RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO THE 20 DEGREE POSITION. THE ACFT DESCENDED, DRIFTED TO THE LEFT, STRUCK A SNOW BANK AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. A SLIGHT RIGHT CROSS WIND EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRE-SOLO STUDENT HAD 9 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, ALL IN THE CESSNA 152.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 582 hours in all; 326 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 380 as pilot in command; 197 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,957 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 9, 1989; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GFK Grand Forks ND at 9:30 pm
- Destination: CKN Crookston MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,502 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from GFK, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N95975 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.