Cessna 172P accident near Los Angeles, California, April 30, 2015
On April 30, 2015 at about 6:34 pm local time, a 1983 Cessna 172P, registered N65813, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Los Angeles, California (Whiteman airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain attitude control during the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2015 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Whiteman · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P P, built 1983 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65813 · registry record · serial 17275896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the student pilot's first supervised solo flight; she reported that on her first landing the airplane porpoised three times and then came to a full stop. She taxied back to the departure end of the runway for a second takeoff. On her second landing the airplane porpoised four times, she taxied back to her flight school without further incident. As a result of the hard landing and subsequent porpoise, the flight instructor conducted a postaccident examination of the engine and airframe, and substantial damage to the firewall was discovered. The student pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 17.2 hours in all; 17.2 in this make and model; 17.2 in the last 90 days; 10.8 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,111.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 5,203 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Los Angeles CA at 6:50 pm
- Destination: WHP Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,120 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from KWHP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 30, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Phone Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email (Chief Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1-VIEW of Firewall Damage (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2-VIEW of Right Side Floor Damage (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.