Cessna 120 and Cessna 152 mid-air collision near Irwindale, California, January 27, 1985
On January 27, 1985 at about 11:41 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 120 (N9058Y) and Cessna 152 (N65599), were involved in a mid-air collision near Irwindale, California. 2 people were killed and 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- January 27, 1985 · about 11:41 pm local time
- Place
- Irwindale, California · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N9058Y · registry record · serial 10246
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N65599 · no longer on the register · serial 15281641
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 120 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 120, N9058Y, & A CESSNA 152, N65599, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR IN THE PRACTICE AREA FOR EL MONTE, CA. ARPT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED THE CONTROLLED ARPT WITHIN THREE MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. BOTH HAD ONE INSTRUCTOR & ONE STUDENT ABOARD. THE CESSNA 152 WAS STILL OUTBOUND IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION & THE CESSNA 120 HAD CALLED THE TOWER FOR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE CESSNA 120 BROKE UP IN FLIGHT & INJURIES WERE FATAL TO BOTH PLTS. THE CESSNA 152 MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LNDG. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR & STUDENT IN THE CESSNA 152 THE ACFT WAS LVL AT2000 FT MSL, HAD JUST COMPLETED A LEFT TURN & WAS ABOUT TO BE IN A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE STUDENT, FROM THE LEFT SEAT, SAW ANOTHER ACFT IN HIS EXTREME RIGHT FIELD OF VISION, APPARENTLY FROM ABOVE. THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA 152 WAS SHATTEREDBY THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA 120, WHICH SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE CESSNA 152 WAS A NEW INSTRUCTOR & NEW TO THE AREA. TWO VETERAN PLTS WERE ABOARD THE CESSNA 120, WITH ONE CHECKING OUT IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED ACFT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 152 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 120, N9058Y, & A CESSNA 152, N65599, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR IN THE PRACTICE AREA FOR EL MONTE, CA. ARPT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED THE CONTROLLED ARPT WITHIN THREE MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. BOTH HAD ONE INSTRUCTOR & ONE STUDENT ABOARD. THE CESSNA 152 WAS STILL OUTBOUND IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION & THE CESSNA 120 HAD CALLED THE TOWER FOR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE CESSNA 120 BROKE UP IN FLIGHT & INJURIES WERE FATAL TO BOTH PLTS. THE CESSNA 152 MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LNDG. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR & STUDENT IN THE CESSNA 152 THE ACFT WAS LVL AT2000 FT MSL, HAD JUST COMPLETED A LEFT TURN & WAS ABOUT TO BE IN A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE STUDENT, FROM THE LEFT SEAT, SAW ANOTHER ACFT IN HIS EXTREME RIGHT FIELD OF VISION, APPARENTLY FROM ABOVE. THE WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA 152 WAS SHATTEREDBY THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA 120, WHICH SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE CESSNA 152 WAS A NEW INSTRUCTOR & NEW TO THE AREA. TWO VETERAN PLTS WERE ABOARD THE CESSNA 120, WITH ONE CHECKING OUT IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED ACFT.
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 for the Cessna 120 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,537 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 26, 1984; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EMT El Monte CA at 11:31 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from EMT, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Cessna 152 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 307 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 161 as pilot in command; 10 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,339 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 8, 1984; 469 hours since
- 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: EMT El Monte CA at 11:34 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.