Cessna 152 accident near Torrance, California, October 23, 1997
On October 23, 1997 at about 6:32 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N89257, was substantially damaged in an accident near Torrance, California (Zamperini airport). It was a personal 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
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during a touch-and-go landing, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve, an encounter with soft terrain, and a nose over. The sudden gust of wind was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 1997 · about 6:32 pm local time
- Place
- Torrance, California · Zamperini · 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
- N89257 · registry record · serial 1528292
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a touch-and-go landing, he encountered a sudden gust of wind and lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane then departed the runway laterally, went into soft dirt, 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: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,328 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1997; 187 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29R, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:42 pm from TOA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N89257 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 LAX98LA018.