- Date
- September 27, 2025, 15:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Los Banos, CA · runway/airport enviornment
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9410ACessna 140A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250927014669I
- Case key
- 201752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind, resulting in a ground loop and nose over.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he diverted to an airport to make an en route fuel stop, but did not utilize the available weather products, which would have alerted him to the strong windy conditions at the airport. The pilot then selected Runway 32, requiring a correction for a strong left crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane ground looped then subsequently nosed over on the paved runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9410A
- Reported as
- Cessna 140A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15231
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 3,229.4
- Engine
- Cont Motor C90 SERIES, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2025 · 1,937 hours before
- Departed
- CA34 · Esparto, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- LSN · Los Banos Muni, runway 32, 3,801 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,043.4 total · 240.5 in this make and model · 1,877.9 as pilot in command · 29.7 in the last 90 days · 13.7 in the last 30 days · 3.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 20 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 69 °F
- Turbulence
- Light
- METAR
- SA 27/09/2025 23:35-> METAR KCVH 272335Z AUTO 27009KT 10SM OVC016 20/15 A2988 RMK A01=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 46.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9410A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.