Cessna 152 accident near Pleasanton, California, July 31, 1983
On July 31, 1983 at about 7:00 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6599L, was destroyed in an accident near Pleasanton, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- July 31, 1983 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Pleasanton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6599L · no longer on the register · serial 15284457
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE IN HILLY TERRAIN. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED FOR ABOUT 100 FT BUT THE ACFT DID NOT TRAVEL AFTER INITIAL IMPACT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE RUPTURED AND NO FUEL REMAINED. THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES SAID NO ODOR OF FUEL WAS NOTED WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS MISSING FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS. THE PLTS WIFE LAST SAWHIM ON 7/30 AT 2300 HOURS PDT. HE REPORTEDLY LEFT HOME THAT NIGHT OR EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. WHEN HE DID NOT RETURN ON 7/31 THE WIFE REPORTED HIM MISSING. HIS CAR WAS FOUND AT HAYWARD AIR TERMINAL, CA. THERE ARE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND BY A RANCHER WHO WAS CHECKING CATTLE ON HIS PROPERTY. NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE WERE UNCOVERED IN THE INVESTIGATION. THE WIFE SAID HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN DEPRESSED DUE TO BUSINESS. SHE SAID HE HAD THREATENED SUICIDE IN THE PAST BUT SHE DID NOT BELIEVE HE WOULD TAKE ANY ACTION IN THAT REGARD. AN AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS REVEALED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 24, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWP Hayward CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from OAK, 18 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.