Cessna 152 accident near Livermore, California, August 8, 2010
On August 8, 2010 at about 3:57 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6165M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Livermore, California (Livermore Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during final approach, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2010 · about 3:57 am local time
- Place
- Livermore, California · Livermore Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6165M · no longer on the register · serial 15284634
- 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 after an uneventful cross-country flight, he returned to the airport to practice three landings. The first two landings were normal and uneventful. During final approach of the third landing, the airplane encountered a wind shear and, despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane entered a nose dive. The airplane impacted the runway and slid about 40 feet, substantially damaging the airplane’s firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The accident airport’s weather observation system reported at the time of the accident wind from 300 degrees at 12 knots. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by using higher than normal airspeed in gusty wind conditions.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 103 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,993 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ahart Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KMER Merced CA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: KLVK Livermore CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 5,253 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KLVK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6165M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.