- Date
- October 25, 1991, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Willits, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N24237Cessna 152
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911025048019A
- Case key
- 27486
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 poor in-flight decision to continue his flight in deteriorating weather, and his misjudged weather evaluation.
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
In his written statement the pilot said that while flying to his home in Willits, California, he encountered deteriorating weather. He said that he proceeded on to see if it was possible to reach his destination. With the weather further deteriorating, he decided to turn back. During his 180 degree, climbing turn, the visibility got worse and his aircraft collided with trees in mountainous terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24237
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280167
- Airframe hours
- 3,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edward A. Warburton
- Registered owner
- Edward A. Warburton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1991 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- PAO · Palo Alto, CA
- Destination
- 028 · Willits, CA
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,535 total · 1,535 in this make and model · 1,387 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.