- Date
- August 1, 1989, 21:00 local (Aug 2, 1989, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fremont, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5298BCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890801026199A
- Case key
- 26463
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper inflight decison to land on an unlighted runway during the hours of darkness. Darkness and the lack of runway lights were related factors.
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
After taking off from an airport during the hours of daylight, the pilot returned during the hours of darkness and attempted to land on a runway that did not have runway lights installed. He landed in a ditch that paralleled the runway, which substantially damaged the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5298B
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15283830
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harmata, Julie
- Departed
- 4CA7
- Destination
- 4CA7
- Airport
- 4CA7 · Fremont
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- SJC, 7 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.