Cessna 152 accident near Lake Elsinore, California, February 24, 1990
On February 24, 1990 at about 5:40 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N67558, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Elsinore, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL LOOKOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1990 · about 5:40 am local time
- Place
- Lake Elsinore, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N67558 · no longer on the register · serial 15281911
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 152 COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DURING A NIGHT TIME PRACTICE FLIGHT. BOTH PILOTS INDICATED VARIOUS DEGREES OF CONFUSION AS TO THEIR LOCATION IN RELATION TO THE TERRAIN. ONE PILOT WAS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED AND THE OTHER PILOT WENT ALONG TO ACT AS A SAFETY PILOT. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 92 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Western Flight International
The flight
- Departed from: RAL Riverside CA at 5:10 am
- Destination: CRQ Palamar CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.