Cessna 152 accident near Santa Rosa, California, June 29, 1996
On June 29, 1996 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68459, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma County 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the solo student pilot misjudged the landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was low airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1996 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, California · Sonoma County · 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
- N68459 · registry record · serial 152-82303
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot let his airspeed get too low and he flared too high on the landing. The airplane touched down hard and bounced. On the second bounce the nose gear collapsed and the pilot lost direction control. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway and came to rest in a grassy area adjacent to the runway.
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: 34 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,296 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Venture
The flight
- Departed from: O69 Petaluma CA
- Destination: STS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,115 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 am from STS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N68459 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX96LA251.