Cessna 152 accident near Atwater, California, January 27, 2013
On January 27, 2013 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68757, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Atwater, California (Castle 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 inadequate flight planning, which resulted in his getting lost and not being able to return to the airport before the fuel was exhausted and the engine lost power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2013 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Atwater, California · Castle Airport · 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
- N68757 · no longer on the register · serial 15282360
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon arrival at the airport for the solo local flight, the student pilot performed a preflight inspection, during which he noted that the airplane had 12 gallons of fuel; he stated that the flight was expected to be 1.3 hours long. During the flight, the student became lost while attempting to return to his home airport. The student contacted air traffic control for assistance and was provided position reports back to the airport but was still unable to identify the airport until he was within about 10 miles of it. About this time, which was 2 hours into the flight, the engine began to run roughly and, shortly after, it lost power. The student's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful, so he configured the airplane at the best glide speed and conducted an off-airport landing. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a small rise in the ground and then came to rest inverted. During recovery of the airplane, it was noted that the fuel tanks had not been compromised, and about 1 gallon of fuel was recovered from both of the fuel tanks. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the airplane had a total usable fuel capacity of 24.5 gallons, 1.5 gallons of which were unusable; with full fuel, the airplane could have flown for about 3.4 hours. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion because the airplane did not have sufficient fuel on board for the extended flight, which resulted from the student's inadequate flight planning.
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 engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 41 hours in all; 41 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,592 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 17, 2013; 16 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 8,721 hours total
- Operator: Ks Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: MER Atwater CA
- Destination: MER Atwater CA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from MER, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.