- Date
- November 13, 2007, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ocala, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N120ABCessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 67077
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 proper runway alignment during landing.
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 purpose of the flight was for the pilot of the Cessna 120 to regain his night currency. While turning onto the final leg of the approach, he thought that the airplane's altitude was higher than normal, so he "slipped" the airplane. While in the landing flare he lost visual contact with the runway. The airplane touched down left of the centerline near the runway edge, impacted a runway sign, and ended up in the inverted position. The pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to impact.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the Cessna 120, the purpose of the flight was to regain his night currency. While turning onto the final leg of the approach, he thought that the airplane's altitude was higher than normal, so he "slipped" the airplane. While in the landing flare he lost visual contact with the runway. The airplane touched down left of the centerline near the runway edge, impacted a runway sign, and ended up in the inverted position. The pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N120AB
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10910
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Continental C85, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Albert J.Bazo, doing business as Self
- Registered owner
- Albert Bazo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007 · 3,500 hours before
- Departed
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Destination
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Airport
- OCF · Ocala International, runway 18, 6,907 × 150 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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,464 total · 365 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- OCF