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19981105039859A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Petaluma, CA · November 5, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 5, 1998 · 11:15 local
Place
Petaluma, CA
Airport
Petaluma Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N68459
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX99LA025
Reported as
Cessna 152
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
21 total18 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N68459Registered now · Cessna 152S/N 15282303 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 152Engine 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.

(-23) Mr. Copp, PIC of the tiger moth, departed sonoma valley airport enroute to Petaluma airport for autofuel which was not available at sonoma valley airport. Upon landing he exited the runway using a shallow turn off the runway. While turning he looked at the taxi way for other aircraft but did not see any and proceeded down the taxi-way. Due to the wind being 12-15 mph the tiger moth only serpentine approximately the width of the landing gear (4-5 ft). Mr. Balf, refueled his Cessna 152 at petuluma, then proceeded by turning right on the taxi-way looking but not seeing any aircraft. Once he was on the taxi-way he saw the tiger moth but could not determine which w ay he was traveling. Mr. Balf slowed and attempted to establish radio contact with the tiger moth, but did not receive any response. First reving the engine in an attempt to get the attention of the tiger moth, Mr. Balf decided to exit the taxi-way to the right. The left wing tip of the Cessna impacted the left wing strut of the tiger moth. Damage to the Cessna included damage to the left wing tip approximately 12 inches inboard and the area just forward of the left flap was damaged to include the rear spar. The flaps were forced into fuselage during impact. Tiger moth damage to the left side included the aft wing spar that was cracked, wing support strut split, and approximately 14 inches inboard from the wingtip nose ribs were broken. Both radio's were operational. Personnel involved in the accident were not injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR. COPP, PIC OF THE TIGER MOTH, DEPARTED SONOMA VALLEY AIRPORT ENROUTE TO PETALUMA AIRPORT FOR AUTOFUEL WHICH WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT SONOMA VALLEY AIRPORT. UPON LANDING HE EXITED THE RUNWAY USING A SHALLOW TURN OFF THE RUNWAY. WHILE TURNING HE LOOKED AT THE TAXI WAY FOR OTHER AIRCRAFT BUT DID NOT SEE ANY AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE TAXI-WAY. DUE TO THE WIND BEING 12-15 MPH THE TIGER MOTH ONLY SERPENTINE APPROXIMATELY THE WIDTH OF THE LANDING GEAR (4-5 FT). MR. BALF, REFUELED HIS CESSNA 152 AT PETULUMA, THEN PROCEEDED BY TURNING RIGHT ON THE TAXI-WAY LOOKING BUT NOT SEEING ANY AIRCRAFT. ONCE HE WAS ON THE TAXI-WAY HE SAW THE TIGER MOTH BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH W AY HE WAS TRAVELING. MR. BALF SLOWED AND ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TIGER MOTH, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE. FIRST REVING THE ENGINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE TIGER MOTH, MR. BALF DECIDED TO EXIT THE TAXI-WAY TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE CESSNA IMPACTED THE LEFT WING STRUT OF THE TIGER MOTH. DAMAGE TO THE CESSNA INCLUDED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES INBOARD AND THE AREA JUST FORWARD OF THE LEFT FLAP WAS DAMAGED TO INCLUDE THE REAR SPAR. THE FLAPS WERE FORCED INTO FUSELAGE DURING IMPACT. TIGER MOTH DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE INCLUDED THE AFT WING SPAR THAT WAS CRACKED, WING SUPPORT STRUT SPLIT, AND APPROXIMATELY 14 INCHES INBOARD FROM THE WINGTIP NOSE RIBS WERE BROKEN. BOTH RADIO'S WERE OPERATIONAL. PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WERE NOT INJURED.

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 LAX99LA025Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPetaluma, CAFailure of the pilot in the Tiger Moth to see and avoid traffic. A contributing factor was the delayed reaction of the student pilot in the Cessna to initiate a turnoff of the taxiway once it became apparent that the other airplane did not see him.Nov 5, 1998 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other reports on N68459 · 2

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

Incident 20250615009319ITakeoff: Departure Roll · Oakland, CADuring the departure roll on runway 28R, the flight crew reported a bird strike. The aircraft subsequently notified air traffic control (ATC) of the incident. The crew elected to return to the ramp. Upon communication with the tower, the pilot reported minor…Jun 15, 2025 · Minor damageIncident 19950927042149ILevel Off Touchdown · Petaluma, CANarrative: on September 27, 1995, a Cessna 152, N68459, was being operated by student pilot rex davidson. On final approach to runway 29 at Petaluma airport CA, Mr. Davidson encountered a cross wind condition while attempting to flare the aircraft. The plane…Sep 27, 1995 · Minor damage