# NTSB investigations: Cessna 120: Loss of control - on ground/water NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports. ## Latest cases - [NTSB CHI07CA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07CA031.md): Cessna 120 · Perryville, MO · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Nov 23, 2006 · N1915N · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing which resulted in an overload of the tailwheel attachment structure in the fuselage. - [NTSB DFW06CA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW06CA185.md): Cessna 120 · Rockwall, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 15, 2006 · N2591N · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to compensate for existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind. - [NTSB DFW05CA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW05CA196.md): Cessna 120 · New Roads, LA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 31, 2005 · N1703N · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain control during the landing roll. - [NTSB SEA05LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA05LA094.md): Cessna 120 · Elk River, ID · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 5, 2005 · N77377 · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. An inadvertent ground loop was a factor. - [NTSB IAD05LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA009.md): Cessna 120 · Willimantic, CT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 2, 2004 · N1811N · Substantial damage > the pilot's loss of directional control due to his uneven application of brakes. A factor in the accident was the tailwind. - [NTSB ANC04LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA081.md): Cessna 120 · Beluga, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 18, 2004 · N1847N · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in airplane departing the landing surface into a ditch, and subsequently nosing over in tall bushes. A factor contributing to the accident was soft… - [NTSB LAX04CA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04CA145.md): Cessna 120 · Red Bluff, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 28, 2004 · N3029N · Substantial damage > the 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. - [NTSB SEA02LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA158.md): Cessna 120 · Missoula, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 16, 2002 · N72594 · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the wind conditions during the landing roll. Delayed remedial action and a high crosswind condition were factors. - [NTSB SEA02LA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA056.md): Cessna 120 · Deer Park, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 17, 2002 · N77301 · Substantial damage > Loss of directional control while landing. A drainage ditch was a factor. - [NTSB IAD01LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD01LA030.md): Cessna 120 · Trenton, ME · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 25, 2001 · N3070N · Substantial damage > The pilot's improper touchdown in the snow after the airplane became prematurely airborne during an attempted takeoff. A factor was the pilot's inadequate training. - [NTSB SEA99LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA024.md): Cessna 120 · Omak, WA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 26, 1998 · N120L · Substantial damage > The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the snow covered runway and a snowbank (berm) at the runway's edge. - [NTSB LAX97LA216](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA216.md): Cessna 120 · Hollister, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 17, 1997 · N1819N · Substantial damage > the pilot's excessive use of right rudder during the initial stages of the takeoff ground roll, which resulted in his failure to maintain directional control. The unfavorable wind was a related factor. - [NTSB SEA96LA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA210.md): Cessna 120 · Nampa, ID · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 4, 1996 · N2595N · Substantial damage > the solo student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop/swerve. - [NTSB NYC95LA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA072.md): Cessna 120 · Skaneateles, NY · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 12, 1995 · N77467 · Substantial damage > The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his improper use of the brakes. - [NTSB FTW94LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW94LA153.md): Cessna 120 · Goodyear, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 11, 1994 · N89550 · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the gusty crosswind. - [NTSB ATL93LA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL93LA048.md): Cessna 120 · Bessemer, AL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 1, 1993 · N4292N · Substantial damage > The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during take off. - [NTSB ATL92LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL92LA094.md): Cessna 120 · Wilmington, NC · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 3, 1992 · N72973 · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to obtain proper assistance during the engine starting procedure, and his failure to properly attend to the airplane with the engine running. - [NTSB FTW92LA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW92LA028.md): Cessna 120 · Las Cruces, NM · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 29, 1991 · N1906N · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the tailwind. - [NTSB LAX90LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX90LA154.md): Cessna 120 · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 26, 1990 · N72576 · Substantial damage > The pilot failed to maintain directional control by improperly using the rudders/tall wheel steering. - [NTSB MKC87LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC87LA174.md): Cessna 120 · Creighton, NE · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 20, 1987 · N2061V · Substantial damage > The flt dptd harvard, NE., with a dest of wausa, NE abt 1 hrs flying dist to the northeast. The departure commenced abt 1 hr and 40 min's prior to dark. The PIC stated he encountered strong headwinds along the route which delayed his progress. The acft… - [NTSB LAX87LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX87LA042.md): Cessna 120 · Columbia, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 17, 1986 · N4085N · Substantial damage > At the beginning of a local pleasure flight, the pilot lost control of the aircraft while practicing high speed taxiing for directional control for takeoffs and landings. Upon reaching liftoff speed, the power was reduced to idle. The aircraft swerved to the… - [NTSB DEN87LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN87LA020.md): Cessna 120 · Peyton, CO · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 15, 1986 · N3004N · Substantial damage > NC3004N, registered to the plt, ground looped during takeoff in a right quartering tailwind, with a check plt aboard. The plt said that upon rotation he elected to abort the flt. He abruptly reduced the power, the acft settled to the ground and ground looped.… - [NTSB CHI87LA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI87LA006.md): Cessna 120 · Decatur, IL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 22, 1986 · N2896N · Substantial damage > The pilot stated that he was practicing crosswind landings on runway 24 when the airplane bounced twice. According to the pilot, he immediately added power and then lost directional control of the airplane and ground looped to the left. Following the ground… - [NTSB ANC86LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC86LA044.md): Cessna 120 · Lake George, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 13, 1986 · N3008N · Substantial damage > The pilot stated that during a three point landing the main landing gear broke through a thin layer of ice into approximately six inches of snow and then the aircraft went over on its back. - [NTSB MKC84LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC84LA141.md): Cessna 120 · Larchwood, IA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 15, 1984 · N76450 · Substantial damage > The acft nosed over after bouncing off the rwy during landing. The plt said he landed long and fast and was feeling apprehensive; when the acft bounced he released back pressure on the stick which caused a greater bounce and an excursion off the rwy. The plt… - [NTSB FTW84LA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW84LA117.md): Cessna 120 · Jayton, TX · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 12, 1984 · N3014N · Substantial damage > The acft nosed over during landing. The plt said he was trying to correct a veer in the tail wheel acft and may have inadvertantly used the right brake. - [NTSB LAX83LA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX83LA156.md): Cessna 120 · Long Beach, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 25, 1983 · N72548 · Substantial damage > According to the pilot during rollout after landing he was making a right turn into a taxiway when a ground loop occurred. The left main gear was sheared during the ground looped and the left wing broke at the strut. - [NTSB LAX82DA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX82DA107.md): Cessna 120 · San Andreas, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Mar 13, 1982 · N1746N · Destroyed > During a three point landing the aircraft started to ground loop. The pilot used rudder and power to recover but the aircraft ran off the side of the runway and struck a tree. ## The whole list in SQL Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS: ```sql SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1 WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('2071402') AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 260)) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC ``` This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb?model=2071402&occurrence=260 --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.