- Date
- March 7, 1993, 17:35 local (Mar 8, 1993, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48860Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930307004569A
- Case key
- 27827
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 inadvertently stalled the airplane near the ground. The intentional buzzing, over confidence in his personal ability, and poor inflight planning/decision were 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
The pilot rented the airplane during the afternoon for a personal flight with his daughter. According to witnesses, he was seen flying over his apartment complex, circling at least ten times. Another pilot stated that a friend of his told him that the pilot had flown over her vehicle the afternoon of the accident and he was 'yanking and banking' at low levels doing stalls. The airplane impacted with the ground and the aircraft came to rest in an inverted position. The airplane was sighted the next morning by another airplane. Search and rescue personnel rescued the survivor the next morning. The pilot had a history of performing low level manuevers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48860
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281008
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Midfield Aviation
- Registered owner
- Midfield Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 2, 1993 · 10 hours before
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 349 total · 13 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAG, 25 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.