Dupage Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Chicago, Illinois 60185
Saturday, April 15, 1989 8:51 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

STUDENT IN CESSNA 152 (N93748) WAS SEQUENCED TO LND BHND N97M AS BEECH 90 (N20) WAS AWAITING TKOF. AS N97M WAS LNDG, N20 WAS CLRD ON RWY TO HOLD & THE STUDENT WAS CLRD TO LND. 39 SEC LTR, N20 WAS CLRD FOR TKOF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, N93748STALLED AND CRASHED APRX 580' SHORT OF THE RWY. WITNESSES SAID THE STUDENT FLEW FM A CLOSE BASE TO A SHORT FINAL APCH, THEN MADE 2 OR 3 STEEP S-TURNS AT LOW SPEED, AS IF TO GET MORE SEPN BHND N20. TOWER SUPVSR (CIC) OBSERVED INADQT SEPN BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO CORRECT IT. WITNESSES SAID N20 WAS HOLDING ON THE RWY WHEN THE STUDENT BEGAN S-TURNING. BFR TKOF, THE PLT OF N93748 TOLD GND CTL SHE WAS A STUDENT. THIS INFO WAS NOT PASSED TO LCL CTLRS. LCL CTLR WAS IN TRNG. NEITHER HE NOR HIS INSTRUCTOR KNEW THE PLT OF N93748 WAS A STUDENT. AIM RCMDD STUDENT ID ON INITIAL CALL TO RDO FAC. BUT, ATC HNDBK DIDN'T REQUIRE INFO TO BE FWDD. FLAPS WERE FND AT 10 DEG; STUDENT WAS TRND TO USE FULL FLAPS AND USE S-TURNS ON FINAL FOR SPACING, AND TO RAISE FLAPS FULL UP FOR GO-ARND; POH RCMDD 20 DEG OF FLAPS UNTIL SAFE SPEED WAS OBTAINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER INSTRUCTION BY THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REGARDING THE EXECUTION OF S-TURNS ON FINAL APPROACH TO INCREASE SPACING AND THE RETRACTION OF FLAPS FULLY WHEN EXECUTING A GO-AROUND AND THE FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FLYING SPEED WHILE MAKING STEEP S-TURNS ON FINAL APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE ATC CONTROL TOWER SERVICE AND TRAFFIC SEPARATION, IMPROPER SUPERVISION IN THE TOWER, AND INEXPERIENCE OF THE STUDENT PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/15/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 851
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City WEST CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60185
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport DUPAGE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DPA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 760
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 847
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID DPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 756
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 500
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 757
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 15 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 905
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40162
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N93748
NTSB Number BFO89FA027
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15285546
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Apr 12 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 3152
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT L. STEVENSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 15 W 244 HARVARD ST.
Aircraft Owner City ELMHURST
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PLANEMASTER INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address DUPAGE AIRPORT
Operator City WEST CHICAGO
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60185
Operator Code DPUA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code DPA
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 919
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 28
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --