Cessna 152 accident near St Louis, Missouri, October 16, 1989
On October 16, 1989 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4904B, was substantially damaged in an accident near St Louis, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis airport). It was a personal 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
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE GUSTY CROSSWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1989 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- St Louis, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis · 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
- N4904B · no longer on the register · serial 15283699
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI RATED PILOT, OCCUPYING THE LEFT SEAT, SAID THAT HE WAS GETTING A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT IN THE TAILWHEEL CONFIGURED AIRCRAFT, FROM THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER, WHO WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. ON ABOUT THE 5TH TOUCH-AND-GO, IN GUSTING CROSSWINDS, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST, WHICH RESULTED IN A GROUND LOOP AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH PILOTS CLAIMED THE OTHER PILOT WAS PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). THE LEFT SEAT PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENDORSEMENT OR CURRENCY IN TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUS St Louis MO at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8L, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:34 pm from SUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N4904B 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.