# Incident 19961204042599I: Cessna 152, Vidal, CA, December 4, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 4, 1996, 15:50 local time
- Place: Vidal, CA
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1189° N, 114.5102° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Vidal, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1189&lon=-114.5102&mi=10
- Aircraft: N25378, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N25378-1997-09-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 51 total, 43 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961204042599I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: STUDENT PILOT WAS DISPATCHED ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FROM VNY TO APV. CFI CHECKED STUDENTS FLIGHT PLANNING WHICH INCLUDED WEATHER REPORTS, DEAD RECKONING PREPARATION PILOTAGE PREPARATION. STUDENT TRACED HIS TRIP TO APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES WEST OF HIS DESTINATION WHEN HE BECAME "DISPLACED". STUDENT CALLED RAL AFSS FOR HELP. ADF STEER WAS PROVIDED TO STUDENT, BUT WHEN THE STUDENT SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN AIRPORT HE DESCENDED, LOST RADIO CONTACT, THEN DISCOVERED THAT WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN AIRPORT WERE RUTS IN THE DESERT. STUDENT THEN CALLED LAX CENTER WHILE SQUAWKING 7700 BUT WAS TOO LOW FOR RADAR CONTACT. STUDENT WANDERED ABOUT FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. STUDENT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON CALIFORNIA ROUTE 95, MORE THAN 100 MILES EAST OF HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. STUDENT'S CFI WAS REEXAMINED UNDER 49 CFR SECTION 44709. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.

## Other reports on N25378 (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19910303011071A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910303011071A), Mar 3, 1991: Cessna 152 (N25378), Van Nuys, CA, Minor damage. Student locked a brake while attempting to taxi around N2505A that was holding on runup pad. CFI took over too late
- [Incident 19900525023939I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900525023939I), May 25, 1990: Cessna 152 (N25378), Madera, CA. Engine quit on descent. Forced landing in field. Six gallons in right tank.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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