Piper PA-28-181 and Cessna 152 mid-air collision near Angwin, California, November 3, 1985
On November 3, 1985 at about 7:05 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Piper PA-28-181 (N21491) and Cessna 152 (N24932), were involved in a mid-air collision near Angwin, California (Virgil O. Parrett Field). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1985 · about 7:05 pm local time · cases in 1985
- Place
- Angwin, California · Virgil O. Parrett Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N21491 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990051
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24932 · registry record · serial 15280456
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA-28-181 final · quoted from the NTSB record
NEAR THE COMPLETION OF A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT WITH A PRE-SOLO STUDENT, THE CFI FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES RECOMMENDED IN THE AIR & ANNOUNCED HIS CESSNA ACFT'S POSITION OVER THE CTAF STATING HIS INTENTIONS & IDENTIFYING HIS LOCATION ON THE 45 DEG, ENTRY & DOWNWIND LEGS. THE CFI FAILED TO TRANSMIT HIS POSITION ON THE FINAL APPROACH LEG, & FAILED TO OBSERVE A PIPER ACFT ON ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PLT IN THE PIPER ACFT, WHO WAS PREPARING TO DEPART, FAILED TO ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTIONS & POSITION ON THE TAXIWAY/RWY. FAILED TO OBSERVE THE INBND CESSNA & RENCE FAILED TO GIVE THAT ACFT THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AS REQUIRED. AS THE PIPER WAS BEING ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF THE CESSNA DESCENDED ONTO & COLLIDED WITH IT. THE PIPER PLT ABORTED HIS TAKEOFF, & CESSNA LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP. BOTH PLTS REPORTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF TALL TREES LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE RWY'S APPROACH HAD OBSTRUCTED THEIR VISION.
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
NEAR THE COMPLETION OF A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT WITH A PRE-SOLO STUDENT, THE CFI FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES RECOMMENDED IN THE AIM 7 & ANNOUNCED HIS CESSNA ACFT'S POSITION OVER THE CTAF STATING HIS INTENTIONS & IDENTIFYING HIS LOCATION ON THE 45 DEG. ENTRY & DOWNWIND LEGS. THE CFI FAILED TO TRANSMIT HIS POSITION ON THE FINAL APPROACH LEG, & FAILED TO OBSERVE A PIPER ACFT ON ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PLT IN THE PIPER ACFT, WHO WAS PREPARING TO DEPART, FAILED TO ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTIONS & POSITION ON THE TAXIWAY/RWY, FAILED TO OBSERVE THE INBND CESSNA & RENCE FAILED TO GIVE THAT ACFT THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AS REQUIRED. AS THE PIPER WAS BEING ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF THE CESSNA DESCENDED ONTO & COLLIDED WITH IT. THE PIPER PLT ABORTED HIS TAKEOFF, & THE CESSNA LANDED WITHOUR FURTHER MISHAP. BOTH PLTS REPORTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF TALL TREES LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE RWY'S APPROACH HAD OBSTRUCTED THEIR VISION.
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 Piper PA-28-181 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,547 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,698 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 1985; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 203 Angwin CA at 7:05 pm
- Destination: 203 Angwin CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,217 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,450 hours in all; 3,100 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 5,294 as pilot in command; 3,665 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,159 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 31, 1985; 13 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: 203 Angwin CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 203 Angwin CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,217 ft by 50 ft
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N21491 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N21491: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,839 aircraft on the register
- N24932 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M 418 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C 84 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N21491 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX86LA031.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.