Cessna 152 accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 21, 1984
On April 21, 1984 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89880, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Allegheny CO. airport). 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
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
- April 21, 1984 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Allegheny CO. · 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
- N89880 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT BALLOONED DURING THE FLARE FOR LANDING & ENDED UP IN A NOSE DOWN CONDITION. THE PLT SAID HE DECIDED TO STALL THE ACFT ONLY A FEW FT OFF THE GROUND AS HE ESTIMATED 2/3 OF THE RWY REMAINED & A GO-AROUND WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON ITS NOSE WITH THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED.
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: 32 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,620 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: G08 Monongahela PA at 8:55 pm
- Destination: AGC Pittsburg PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,826 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°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.