Cessna 152 accident near Carlsbad, California, September 4, 2026
On September 4, 2026 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 152, registered N5447L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Carlsbad, California (Mcclellan-Palomar 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2026 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, California · Mcclellan-Palomar Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1980 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5447L · registry record · serial 15284317
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Pinnacle Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: SBD San Bernardino CA at 5:54 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from KCRQ
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCRQ 041853Z 24007KT 10SM CLR 23/14 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP135 T02280144
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N5447L 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 WPR26LA332.