Cessna 172N and amateur-built GIPSY MOTH DH.60G mid-air collision near Santa Paula, California, November 28, 1986
On November 28, 1986 at about 6:25 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172N (N2371E) and amateur-built GIPSY MOTH DH.60G (N1510V), were involved in a mid-air collision near Santa Paula, California (Santa Paula airport). No one was hurt; 4 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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 1986 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Paula, California · Santa Paula · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2371E · registry record · serial 17271254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built GIPSY MOTH DH.60G GIPSY MOTH
- Registration
- N1510V · registry record · serial 506
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172N final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 172 & A DEHAVILLAND GIPSY MOTH COLLIDED AT 150 FT. AGL WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT. ON BASE LEG THE PLT FLYING THE MOTH FAILED TO OBSERVE & YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO THE CESSNA WHICH WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED ONTHE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. THE MOTH'S PLT TURNED ON TO FINAL APPROACH SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF & ABOVE THE CESSNA. BETWEEN 5 - 10 SEC. LATER THE MOTH'S PROPELLER SLICED INTO & PARTIALLY SEVERED AN OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE CESSNA'S RIGHT WING. THE CESSNA PLT HAD BROADCAST HIS POSITION WHILE IN THE DOWNWIND, BASE & FINAL APPROACH LEGS OF THE LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN. HOWEVER, THE ARPT HAD A PUBLISHED RIGHT-HAND PATTERN. THE MOTH WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A COMMUNICATION RADIO.
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 amateur-built GIPSY MOTH DH.60G final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 172 & A DEHAVILLAND GIPSY MOTH COLLIDED AT 150 FT. AGL WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT. ON BASE LEG THE PLT FLYING THE MOTH FAILED TO OBSERVE & YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO THE CESSNA WHICH WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. THE MOTH'S PLT TURNED ON TO FINAL APPROACH SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF & ABOVE THE CESSNA. BETWEEN 5 - 10 SEC. LATER THE MOTH'S PROPELLER SLICED IN TO & PARTIALLY SEVERED AN OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE CESSNA'S RIGHT WING. THE CESSNA PLT HAD BROADCAST HIS POSITION WHILE IN THE DOWNWIND, BASE & FINAL APPROACH LEGS OF THE LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN. HOWEVER, THE ARPT HAD A PUBLISHED RIGHT-HAND PATTERN. THE MOTH WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A COMMUNICATION RADIO.
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 172N from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 292 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 208 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,629 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Mobile, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Pacoima CA at 6:10 pm
- Destination: SZP Santa Paula CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,650 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
The factual record for the amateur-built GIPSY MOTH DH.60G from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,700 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 5,600 as pilot in command; 1,252 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 25, 1986; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,685 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: De Havilland GIPSY 2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SZP Santa Paula CA at 6:05 pm
- Destination: SZP Santa Paula CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,650 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
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 LAX87FA057.