Cessna 152 accident near Turlock, California, October 31, 2007
On October 31, 2007 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N64994, was substantially damaged in an accident near Turlock, California (Turlock 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2007 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Turlock, California · Turlock 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
- N64994 · no longer on the register · serial 15281519
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during an attempted touch-and-go landing, he landed the airplane from a forward slip at a higher airspeed than normal. He was then momentarily uncertain about whether or not to continue the landing or to abort. After a short period of indecision he elected to try and do a full stop landing. The pilot attempted to turn off the runway at the departure end, but was traveling too fast to make the turn onto the taxiway and the airplane ran off the end of the pavement and into a ditch. The accident occurred on October 30, 2007, and the airplane sustained what appeared to be minor damage. In December 2007, after removal of the cowling, it was discovered that the firewall had been damaged during the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 24 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MER Merced CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MER Merced CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,985 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from MOD, 9 miles away
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.