- Date
- March 3, 1985, 09:46 local (17:46 UTC)
- Place
- Modesto, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N103ESCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850303004949A
- Case key
- 24476
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to witnesses, the plt completed a short checkout and then boarded a female companion in the rented acft, took off and flew to a point 2.9 NM from the airport. The acft was observed by numerous ground witnesses to perform a 'series of wingovers, at low altitude,' with entry altitudes estimated at 300 ft AGL and below. A police officer observed that each successive entry altitude 'was slightly lower than the previous one, with the corresponding recovery altitudes lower as well' until the acft impacted in a vacant field in a residential area. The police officer noted that the recovery altitude on the first wing over was 'about the height of the telephone poles.' The coroner's office reported that a relative of the passenger lived about 1.5 miles from the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280584
- Airframe hours
- 2,035
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Esco Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 12, 1985 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- MOD · Modesto, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,115 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOD, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.