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20040228004039A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 120 · Red Bluff, CA · February 28, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 28, 2004 · 11:30 local
Place
Red Bluff, CA
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3029N
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04CA145
Reported as
Cessna 120
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,500 total1,600 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N3029NRegistered now · Cessna 120S/N 13287Airframe modelCessna 120

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Cessna 120, N3029N, came to rest inverted after a loss of directional control on landing at a Private strip near Red Bluff, California. The airplane was registered to a Private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local area flight departed from Red Bluff municipal airport (rbl), with a planned destination of the Private field. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. Pilot reported that he was attempting to land on a Private runway about 20 feet wide. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a quartering tailwind. The airplane veered off to the left of the runway, and despite rudder inputs, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane continued off the runway and encountered soft, muddy terrain, resulting in the landing gear sinking in. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane incurred damage to the wing strut, vertical stabilizer, cowling, and wings.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) CESSNA 120, N3029N, CAME TO REST INVERTED AFTER A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON LANDING AT A PRIVATE STRIP NEAR RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM RED BLUFF MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RBL), WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF THE PRIVATE FIELD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON A PRIVATE RUNWAY ABOUT 20 FEET WIDE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY, AND DESPITE RUDDER INPUTS, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED OFF THE RUNWAY AND ENCOUNTERED SOFT, MUDDY TERRAIN, RESULTING IN THE LANDING GEAR SINKING IN. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE AIRPLANE INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE WING STRUT, VERTICAL STABILIZER, COWLING, AND WINGS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04CA145Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportRed Bluff, CAthe pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind condition and failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll on a narrow runway. A contributing factor were the gusty tailwind conditions.Feb 28, 2004 · Substantial damage