Cessna 152 accident near Pacoima, California, June 24, 1983
On June 24, 1983 at about 3:26 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5454B, was destroyed in an accident near Pacoima, California (Whiteman airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1983 · about 3:26 am local time
- Place
- Pacoima, California · Whiteman · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5454B · no longer on the register · serial 15283873
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED MANEUVERING IN THE AREA OF THE ARPT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR ABOUT 45 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED WITH POWER LINES ABOUT 1/2 MI SOUTHWEST OF THE ARPT WHILE THE ACFT WAS ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 320 DEG. THE ACFT THEN STRUCK A POWER POLE, SEPARATING ITS LEFT WING. AFTER TRAVELING ANOTHER 66 YARDS, IT COLLIDED WITH TREES, 2 FENCES & THE FRONT PORTION OF A RESIDENCE BEFORE COMING TO REST. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: 1,750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 560 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1982; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WHIP
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,725 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 am from BUR, 4 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.