Cessna 152 accident near Hayward, California, April 28, 2016
On April 28, 2016 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 152, registered N6427Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hayward, California (Hayward Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's high descent rate during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, nose landing gear collapse, and runway excursion during an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2016 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hayward, California · Hayward Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1981 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6427Q · registry record · serial 15285250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that the airplane landed hard and then began to porpoise. The student pilot further reported that he applied power to abort the landing, but the porpoise continued, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The engine mounts were substantially damaged. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,103.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 6, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: San Carlos Flight Center Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SQL San Carlos CA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: SQL San Carlos CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28L, 5,694 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KHWD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA16CA211.