Cessna 152 accident near Hanover, Pennsylvania, April 27, 1989
On April 27, 1989 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757JS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanover, Pennsylvania (Hanover 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 FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO AROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1989 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Hanover, Pennsylvania · Hanover · 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
- N757JS · no longer on the register · serial 15279782
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. ON LANDING, TOUCHDOWN WAS HARD AND AFTER THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED A FEW TIMES, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND WITH FULL POWER, FULL FLAPS AND CARBURETOR HEAT OFF. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 30 FEET WHEN THE STALL HORN SOUNDED. THE PILOT MADE A 180 DEGREE LEFT TURN AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING AND NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER TO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
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
- Flight time: 14 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 14 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,059 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 1989; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,617 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6W6 Hanover PA at 9:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,610 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.