Cessna 152 accident near Imperial, California, October 26, 2004
On October 26, 2004, a Cessna 152, registered N4734B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Imperial, California (Imperial County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout, which resulted in the airplane veering off of the runway surface and nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2004
- Place
- Imperial, California · Imperial County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4734B · no longer on the register · serial 15283606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway during the landing rollout and nosed over. As the student pilot initiated a landing on his first solo flight, the airplane touched down on the main landing gear first, with the nose landing gear following. Shortly after the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane began to veer to the left and continued off the runway surface. The main landing gear impacted soft dirt, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The student pilot stated that after touchdown, he lost focus and could not maintain control of the airplane. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IPL Imperial CA
- Destination: IPL Imperial CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.