Cessna 152 accident near Julian, California, October 11, 1997
On October 11, 1997 at about 3:14 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N67293, was destroyed in an accident near Julian, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning which resulted in VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and the loss of aircraft control. Contributing was the pilot's overconfidence in his ability, clouds, and rain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1997 · about 3:14 pm local time
- Place
- Julian, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N67293 · no longer on the register · serial 15281729
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument rated pilot departed on a cross-country flight to Nevada following his receipt of a weather briefing that indicated multiple layers of clouds, and moderate to severe turbulence along the route in an unstable air mass. While climbing en route the pilot requested and received radar flight following service. About 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot informed the radar controller that he was making a 180-degree turn. Radar data indicates that seconds following the pilot's transmission, the airplane commenced a rapid descent. During the final 60 seconds of recorded flight, the airplane descended from 7,200 to 4,500 feet. The airplane impacted a 3,400-foot msl hillside. Wreckage was found scattered over a 150-foot-long path, about 0.11 mile from its last radar position. Airborne and ground-based witnesses near the area reported the presence of an overcast sky condition with cloud bases near ground level and tops over 13,000 feet. The precipitation intensity varied between sprinkles to heavy rain showers.
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: 275 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,197 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 1997; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Plus One Flyers, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SEE San Diego CA at 2:57 pm
- Destination: L15 Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.