Event LAX85FA325

1985-07-23 GOLETA, California, United States Airport · SBA Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N11490

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

WACO QCF

Year of manufacture

1931 · 54 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR W670 SERIES (250 hp)

Seats / Engines

3 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20070610

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A03EBB

Registrant of record

PIETSCH WARREN A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N11490 Cessna 150L Fatal

Factual narrative

AT 0242 PDT, THE STUDENT PLT TRIED TO CALL THE TOWER FOR A RADIO CHECK. THE TOWER WAS CLOSED, BUT A FSS SPECIALIST HEARD THE TRANSMISSION & PROVIDED ADVISORIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE STUDENT PLT TOOK OFF WITH A PASSENGER ABOARD. SHORTLY, AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT CRASHED ON RWY 25 & BURNED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THERE WAS LITTLE MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT AFTER IMPACT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND, BUT THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY FIRE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THE BLOOD/ALCOHOL LEVELS OF THE PLT & PASSENGER WERE 0.12 & 0.13 GRAMS PERCENT (0.12% & 0.13%), RESPECTIVELY. AN INSTRUCTOR PLT STATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY NIGHT FLYING INSTRUCTIONS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_LAX85FA325.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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