- Date
- November 16, 1987, 15:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5478LCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871116083209A
- Case key
- 25791
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
The recently rated private pilot and his passenger were flying low and waving to people on the ground. As the aircraft neared electrical service lines across its flight path ground witnesses observed it to enter an abrupt climb, roll left and dive into the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5478L
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284320
- Airframe hours
- 3,772
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southwest Air Charter
- Registered owner
- Eastern, William J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 4, 1987
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 42 in this make and model · 21 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 11 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.