- Date
- August 23, 1993, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9861JCessna A150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930823031589A
- Case key
- 28458
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 dual student pilot's failure to maintain directional control, improper use of the flight controls, and failure to relinquish the flight controls to the CFI. The soft dirt was a factor in this accident.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The dual noncertificated student pilot failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll. The student applied right pedal, rudder and brakes, to stop the airplane. The CFI attempted to assume control of the airplane, but the dual student would not relinquish control of the airplane. The airplane entered the soft terrain, collapsed the nose gear, and nosed over onto its back.
Factual narrative
On August 23, 1993, at 1115 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna A150M, N9861J, exited runway 16 at Natomas Field, Sacramento, California, and nosed over. The pilots were conducting a local visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, registered to Sacramento Aero Services, Inc., and operated by American Aero Club, Inc., Natomas, California, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor (CFI) nor the noncertificated student pilot was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Natomas Field at 0945 hours.
Neither the CFI nor the operator informed the Safety Board of this accident. An anonymous person informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Sacramento Flight Standards District Office of this accident on August 26, 1993. A FAA flight standards inspector examined the airplane and determined that the airplane had sustained structural damage.
Both the CFI and the operator submitted an unsigned Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. The CFI reported that after completing airwork at the practice area the flight returned to Natomas Field for traffic pattern instruction. On the first approach the CFI instructed the student to execute a go-around. The student satisfactorily completed the go-around and re-entered the traffic pattern for a second approach to a landing.
During the landing roll the student pilot began to instinctively control the airplane as if he was driving an automobile by stepping on the right rudder pedal to slow the airplane. This action caused the airplane to veer to the right. The student panicked during the sudden departure from the centerline. The CFI advised the student that he assumed the controls, but the student froze on the controls and continued to operate the controls as if he were driving an automobile to arrest the right excursion. The CFI was unable to regain control of the airplane.
The airplane exited the asphalt surface runway and entered the soft dirt. The airplane continued its landing roll until the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over onto its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9861J
- Reported as
- Cessna A150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15000760
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- American Aero Club, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sacramento Aero Services, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 10, 1993 · 36 hours before
- Airport
- Q96 · Natomas Field, runway 16, 2,700 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 606 total · 322 in this make and model · 475 as pilot in command · 164 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.