Cessna 152 accident near Aptos, California, January 30, 2007
On January 30, 2007 at about 11:47 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25932, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aptos, California (Watsonville Muni 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 becoming lost and disoriented that resulted in an improper in-flight decision to make a precautionary landing in an unsuitable open field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2007 · about 11:47 pm local time
- Place
- Aptos, California · Watsonville Muni · 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
- N25932 · registry record · serial 15280864
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over during an off airport landing. During the student pilot's second solo cross-country flight, he became disoriented and scared after he had flown between two cloud layers, and was unable to see the ground. He said he panicked and was having difficulty thinking clearly. He descended into the clouds at 4,000 feet msl, and broke out of the clouds about 1,100 feet msl, where he was able to see an open field. He elected to land in the field; however, during the landing roll out, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,966 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KIC King City CA at 11:10 pm
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from WVI, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 LAX07CA076.