# NTSB WPR12LA272: Cessna 150F, N524CC, Jackson, CA, June 21, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 20, 2012, 19:00 local (Jun 21, 2012, 02:00 UTC) - Place: Jackson, CA - Coordinates: 38.376667, -120.793891 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3767&lon=-120.7939&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 14, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 84048 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR12LA272 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84048/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84048 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA272 ## Probable cause The student pilot's loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 150F, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2071814), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 150F, 28 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2071814), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 150F, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2071814), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 150F, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2071814), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 150F, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2071814), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that as the nose wheel landing gear touched down after a normal landing, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. When the student pilot applied control inputs to correct the veer, the airplane swerved “extremely fast” to the right and exited the right side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane traveled down an embankment and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both the left and right nose landing gear rod end bearings were fractured. Metallurgical analysis of the rod end bearing fracture surfaces indicated that they exhibited features consistent with overload failures in an aft direction; however, investigators were unable to determine if the overload failures occurred as a result of a hard landing or during the runway excursion. ## Factual narrative On June 20, 2012, about 1900 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N524CC, sustained substantial damage when it exited the runway during landing roll and nosed over at the Westover Field/Amador County Airport, Jackson, California. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to 2 Fly U, LLC in Penn Valley, California and operated by the student pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a solo cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The instructional flight originated from the Nevada County Air Park, near Grass Valley, California about 1830. The student pilot reported that following a normal landing on runway 1 as the nose wheel landing gear touched the runway, the airplane veered to the left. Despite the student pilot's control inputs, the airplane began to swerve and exited the right side of the runway. The airplane traveled down an embankment about midfield and nosed over. The student pilot reported the wind was from about 230 degrees at 6 knots, and the runway was dry during the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by the student pilot revealed that the vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent. A post-accident examination of the airplane was conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on June 26, 2012 at the facilities of Plain Parts in Pleasant Grove, California. The examination revealed damage to a propeller blade tip area and the nose landing gear left and right rod end bearings were found separated into two sections. The rod end fittings were fractured through the threaded shank on the bearing side of the locking nut. The rod end bearings were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C. for further examination. An NTSB metallurgist reported that magnified optical examinations of both fractures revealed similarly textured, matte grey fracture surfaces mostly oriented at approximately 45 degrees to the long axis of the fittings consistent with overstress fracturing. Deformation of adjacent threaded shanks was consistent with bending loads in plane with the head of the fittings. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N524CC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N524CC-2015-05-18), registration cancelled 2015-05-18, S/N 15063280, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150F - Registry model: [Cessna 150F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f) (registry code 2071814) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15063280 - Airframe hours: 2924 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 5, 2012 - Departed: GOO, Grass Valley, CA - Destination: JAQ, Jackson, CA - Airport: JAQ, Westover Field/Amador County, runway 01, 3,401 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 19; injuries: none; student; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 50 total, 26 in this make and model, 7 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.82 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120620011579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120620011579A), Jun 20, 2012: Cessna 150F, Jackson, CA, Substantial damage. On June 20, 2012 a student pilot on a solo cross country flight from grass valley (goo) to westover amador-Jackson (jaq) airport exited the runway after… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84048. 1.3 MB in all. - Materials Laboratory 15 - Factual Report 12-079 (2 Embedded Images) (item 1, .PDF, 2 photos, 571 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40373017&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%2015%20-%20Factual%20Report%2012-079%20(2%20Embedded%20Images)-Master.PDF - Evidence Control Form (item 2, .PDF, 154 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40379799&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Evidence%20Control%20Form-Redacted.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 3, .PDF, 592 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376397&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.