Cessna 152 accident near Mojave, California, December 31, 2021
On December 31, 2021 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 152, registered N89084, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Mojave, California (Mojave Air and Space Port airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an encounter with a wind gust during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2021 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Mojave, California · Mojave Air and Space Port · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1978 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N89084 · no longer on the register · serial 15282623
- 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, while taxiing to the runway for takeoff, the airplane encountered a gust of wind which lifted the airplane. The airplane subsequently nosed over on the taxiway. Both wings and the vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated surface observation system reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 250° at 27 knots, gusting to 32 knots.
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 on ground during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 63.4 hours in all; 61.6 in this make and model; 4.5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 18.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,416 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 2021
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L3C (piston); 8,308 hours total
- Operator: Aero Association of Caltech INC
The flight
- Destination: KEMT El Monte CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,049 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 27 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 1:58 pm from K9L2, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K9L2 312158Z AUTO 25027G32KT 10SM CLR 10/01 A2963 RMK AO2 PK WND 27033/37 SLP034 T00990012
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – N89084 Rear, courtesy owner
Photo 2 - N89084 Right Rear, courtesy owner
Photo 3 - N89084 Front, courtesy owner
Photo 4 - N89084 Left Side, courtesy ownerThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 18, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N89084 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N89084: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 152 1,637 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L3C 6,133 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mojave Air & Space Port/Rutan Field · nearest airport
- San Gabriel Valley Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- California 27,642 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N89084 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22LA070.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.