19891016040749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · St Louis, MO · October 16, 1989

Date: October 16, 1989 · 18:00 local
Place: St Louis, MO
Airport: Spirit Of St Louis Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4904B
NTSB investigation: NTSBMKC90LA009
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,593 total1 in this make and model63 in the last 90 days

N4904BRegistration cancelled Feb 10, 2026 · Cessna 152S/N 15283699 · Built 1979 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Ground looped landing tail wheel aircraft in gusty crosswind.

As the FAA filed it

GROUND LOOPED LANDING TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT IN GUSTY CROSSWIND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MKC90LA009Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSt Louis, MODirectional control not maintained by the pilot in command. A contributing factor was the gusty crosswind.Oct 16, 1989 · Substantial damage