Cessna 152 accident near Los Angeles, California, March 26, 2026
On March 26, 2026 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 152, registered N24932, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Los Angeles, California (Van Nuys 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a jet blast fence during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2026 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1977 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24932 · registry record · serial 15280456
- 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 run-up area, he noticed that it was more congested than usual. While passing to the left of a muti-engine aircraft, the pilot focused his attention more than usual on right wing clearance and did not adequately monitor the left wingtip. Upon recognizing the inadequate clearance of the left wing tip, the pilot applied both brakes. Subsequently, the left wing struck a jet blast fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 288.6 hours in all; 40.3 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 58.8 in the last 30 days; 189.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 9, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,600.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 18, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 912 hours total
The flight
- Runway 16R, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from KVNY
Weather report (METAR): METAR KVNY 262051Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 28/09 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP114 60000 T02830089 58024 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N24932 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 WPR26LA144.