Cessna 320D accident near Compton, California, July 2, 1986
On July 2, 1986 at about 5:00 am local time, a Cessna 320D, registered N4153T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Compton, California (Compton airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1986 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Compton, California · Compton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320D · all 320Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4153T · no longer on the register · serial 320D0053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ATTEMPTED A NIGHT LANDING AFTER HE WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE ACFT'S LANDING LIGHTS. HE STATED THAT, OVER THE END OF THE RWY AT ABOUT 25 FT AGL, EVERYTHING BLENDED INTO A LARGE BLACK SPOT. AS THE PLT ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND, THE ACFT CONTACTED THE RWY, CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE ACFT THEN SLID DOWN THE RWY AND OFF TO THE LEFT BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,105 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 1,105 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDM San Diego CA at 4:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25L, 3,670 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.