Cessna C-152A accident near Yellowsprings, Ohio, July 26, 1990
On July 26, 1990, a Cessna C-152A, registered N4870A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yellowsprings, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN THE PILOT STALLED THE AIRPLANE AFTER PREMATURELY BECOMING AIRBORNE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A ROUGH FIELD AND A HIDDEN OBSTRUCTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1990
- Place
- Yellowsprings, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C-152A
- Registration
- N4870A · registry record · serial A1520902
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ENROUTE TO AN AIRPORT THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR AND LANDED AT THE WRONG AIRPORT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE GRASS STRIP AND THE AIRPLANE HIT A BUMP HIDDEN IN THE TALL GRASS. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE PREMATURELY. THE PILOT STATED HE MAINTAINED A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND AS THE AIRPLANE CAME CLOSE TO A TREELINE THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND CRASHED TO 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 144 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,598 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 3, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.