Cessna 152 accident near San Carlos, California, April 8, 1993
On April 8, 1993 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89022, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Carlos, California (San Carlos airport). It was an instructional 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 CFI'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT AND DELAYING THE REMEDIAL ACTION. THE DUAL STUDENT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE BRAKES IS A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1993 · about 11:20 pm local time · cases in 1993
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · cases near this airport · map
- 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
- N89022 · no longer on the register · serial 15282599
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). THE AIRPLANE LANDED NORMALLY, BUT DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT THE STUDENT APPLIED UNEVEN BRAKING AND THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY SIGN. THE CFI ADMONISHED THE STUDENT TO WATCH THE UNEVEN BRAKING APPLICATION, BUT DID NOT ASSUME THE CONTROLS UNITL IT WAS EVIDENT TO HIM THAT THE STUDENT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 1,030 in this make and model; 1,972 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,160 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 5, 1993; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAO Palo Alto CA at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,100 ft; not recorded at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 pm from SQL
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 N89022 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
- N89022: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-L2C 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- San Carlos Airport · nearest airport
- Palo Alto Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N89022 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/LAX93LA168.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.