Cessna 152 accident near Kansas City, Missouri, February 23, 1989
On February 23, 1989 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25909, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kansas City, Missouri. It was a personal 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
IMPROPER USE OF THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL BY PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1989 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kansas City, Missouri
- 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
- N25909 · no longer on the register · serial 15280851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID WHILE IN NORMAL CRUISE CONFORMATION, THE ENGINE MISFIRED. HE APPLIED CARB HEAT AND THE ENGINE PERFORMED NORMALLY. HE REMOVED THE CARB HEAT AND IN ABOUT 2 TO 3 MINUTES THE ENGINE LOST SUBSTANTIAL POWER. CARB HEAT WAS THEN APPLIED WHICH RESULTED IN A GAIN IN POWER, BUT NOT TO NORMAL SPECIFICATIONS. THE PLT MADE A DECISION TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LDG ON THE ONLY AVAILABLE SPACE. HE REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE, APPLIED FULL FLAPS AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A FIELD. HE FELT THE ENGINE HAD CLEARED ENOUGH FOR A POSSIBILITY FOR CONTINUATION OF THE FLIGHT BUT ELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE LANDING. THE ACFT LANDED ON A FIELD, RAN ONTO A ROAD AND STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE WITH THE RIGHT WING. METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE FOR THE FORMATION OF CARB ICE ACCORDING TO THE 'CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS.' THE TEMP WAS 26 DEG F AND DEWPOINT WAS 3 DEGS F.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,196 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 252 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 1,160 as pilot in command; 545 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,315 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 1989; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Liberty Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LWC Lawrence KS at 7:50 pm
- Destination: MO10 Liberty MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from MKC, 6 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.