Cessna 152 accident near Lakewood, California, September 11, 2005
On September 11, 2005 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6565L, was destroyed in an accident near Lakewood, California (Long Beach airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the certified flight instructor's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed resulting in a stall and loss of control. Also causal was the engine's loss of partial power due to inadequate maintenance, worn spark plugs, worn pistons, and broken piston rings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2005 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lakewood, California · Long Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6565L · registry record · serial 15284440
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane descended to ground impact while maneuvering to return to the runway following a partial loss of power in the takeoff initial climb. The airplane departed runway 25 right. About 30 seconds later, the pilot reported poor climb performance to the tower controller and requested to return to the airport. Ground witnesses, including pilots at the airport, said the airplane was low and appeared to be slower than normal. The engine maintained a constant low rpm (revolutions per minute) sound; it was not coughing, sputtering, or backfiring. The nose was up, the wings were rocking, and the tail was moving back and forth. The airplane stalled, the right wing dropped about 90 degrees, and the nose went nearly straight down. The airplane came to rest behind a building. Total time recorded on the engine at the last 100-hour inspection was 2,762.5 hours, and it had not been overhauled. Work performed included an oil and oil filter change, a check of the exhaust system, gapping of the spark plugs, a check for compliance with airworthiness directives, and a notation that compression was 70/80 or better. The manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls is 2,400 hours. Engine examination determined that only one top spark plug appeared to be within service limits. Disassembly of the engine revealed broken rings on two pistons. One piston had a scarf gap that allowed combustion blow-by (blow torching) to consume piston material. False brinnelling was extensive on the face of the cylinder number 1 exhaust camshaft follower and the cylinder number 3 exhaust lobe of the camshaft. All of the internal engine components displayed signatures that were consistent with an over extended service life. The ignition switch was in the right position. It could not be determined if the pilots left the switch in the right position after the before takeoff magneto check, or intentionally selected the right position while troubleshooting the lack of power in flight.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 793 hours in all; 92 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,451 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LGB Long Beach CA at 10:44 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 6,192 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LGB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX05FA296.