- Date
- March 11, 1991, 17:18 local (Mar 12, 1991, 01:18 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ana, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N757XECessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910311005199A
- Case key
- 27138
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 planning which resulted in the flight's encounter with wake turbulence from a landing heavy transport.
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 the pilot, he was performing the fourth touch and go landing on runway 19 left. The air traffic control tower cautioned the pilot about possible wake turbulence from a Boeing 757 which was landing just ahead of the aircraft on runway 19 right. The pilot said he was in the flare when the aircraft suddenly rolled violently to the right. The aircraft struck the runway on the right wing and nose. A fire started which consumed the aircraft. The winds were reported by the tower as 240 degrees at 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757XE
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280079
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sunrise Aviation Co.
- Airport
- SNA · John Wayne, runway 19, 2,887 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 68 total · 68 in this make and model · 23 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.