Cessna 152 accident near Modesto, California, March 3, 1985
On March 3, 1985 at about 5:46 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N103ES, was destroyed in an accident near Modesto, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1985 · about 5:46 pm local time
- Place
- Modesto, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N103ES · registry record · serial 15280584
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PLT COMPLETED A SHORT CHECKOUT AND THEN BOARDED A FEMALE COMPANION IN THE RENTED ACFT, TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO A POINT 2.9 NM FROM THE AIRPORT. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED BY NUMEROUS GROUND WITNESSES TO PERFORM A 'SERIES OF WINGOVERS, AT LOW ALTITUDE,' WITH ENTRY ALTITUDES ESTIMATED AT 300 FT AGL AND BELOW. A POLICE OFFICER OBSERVED THAT EACH SUCCESSIVE ENTRY ALTITUDE 'WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE, WITH THE CORRESPONDING RECOVERY ALTITUDES LOWER AS WELL' UNTIL THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A VACANT FIELD IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE POLICE OFFICER NOTED THAT THE RECOVERY ALTITUDE ON THE FIRST WING OVER WAS 'ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE TELEPHONE POLES.' THE CORONER'S OFFICE REPORTED THAT A RELATIVE OF THE PASSENGER LIVED ABOUT 1.5 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,115 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,035 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 12, 1985; 33 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: MOD Modesto CA at 5:38 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:46 pm from MOD, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX85FA163.