Cessna 152 accident near Van Nuys, California, May 19, 1996
On May 19, 1996 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N49438, was substantially damaged in an accident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during an aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1996 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N49438 · registry record · serial 15281267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff, at 10 feet above the runway, the aircraft yawed side to side. Because the pilot did not feel he was in control of the aircraft, he chose to abort the takeoff and landed back on the runway. The aircraft veered to the left off the runway, crossing a grass median, a taxiway, and a ramp before coming to rest against a fence. The student's flight instructor was not present at the time; however, in a later debriefing the student could recall no other aircraft nearby that could have caused wake turbulence. The instructor concluded that the pilot may have flown into a dust devil because of the student's report of a yawing motion as opposed to a rolling motion.
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: student
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,421 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 13, 1996; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Av8, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: VNY at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16L, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from VNY
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.