Cessna 152 accident near Crookston, Minnesota, March 1, 1989
On March 1, 1989 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5329B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crookston, Minnesota (Crookston 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICY/SNOW COVERED RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1989 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Crookston, Minnesota · Crookston · 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
- N5329B · no longer on the register · serial 15283837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THAT AFTER PERFORMING 4 OR 5 TOUCH AND GOES WITH THE INSTRUCTOR ONBOARD, THE CFI DEPLANNED AND SIGNED THE STUDENT OFF FOR FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. THE FIRST LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT ON THE SECOND LANDING, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST, AND THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO DEEPER SNOW AND NOSED OVER. THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN PLOWED, BUT WAS STILL COVERED WITH PATCHES OF ICE AND SNOW. THE PLT SAID THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS QUITE ROUGH IN PLACES.
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: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,318 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 15, 1989; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: University Of North Dakota
The flight
- Departed from: GFK Grand Forks ND at 9:45 pm
- Destination: CKN Crookston MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,502 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from AXN, 100 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.
Other NTSB records under N5329B 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.