Cessna 152 accident near Imperial, California, October 17, 1996
On October 17, 1996 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48728, was substantially damaged in an accident near Imperial, California (Imperial 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout, which resulted in a ground swerve. Soft terrain on the shoulder of the runway was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1996 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Imperial, California · Imperial 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
- N48728 · no longer on the register · serial 15283365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
When the student pilot first attempted to land, during his third supervised solo cross-country flight, the airplane had excessive altitude and airspeed, so he made a go-around. The pilot successfully touched down on the runway during his next attempt. However, during rollout, the airplane veered left, and the student corrected by applying pressure to the right rudder and/or brake. The airplane then swerved right, went off the side of the runway, entered soft mud on the shoulder, and nosed over.
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: 32 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,093 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 1996; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Anglo-American Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TNP Twentynine Palm CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: IPL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 5,304 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.