- Date
- December 30, 2021, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Johnsondale, CA · private dirt strip
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7801ZCessna 150C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAT FSDO
- Case key
- 104476
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 of the airplane while landing on a snow-covered unimproved runway.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he attempted a touch and go landing on a snow-covered backcountry airstrip, in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The snow was deeper than he anticipated and the ground beneath the snow softer than expected. During the landing, the main wheels dug in, and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7801Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 150C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059901
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 3,137
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 4, 2021
- Departed
- L05 · Kernville, CA
- Destination
- L05 · Kernville, CA
- Airport
- NA
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- September 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 847 total · 0 in this make and model · 812 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F
- Observed at
- KBFL, 36 nm away
- METAR
- SA 30/12/2021 22:54-> METAR KBFL 302254Z 31006KT 6SM HZ FEW017 OVC085 12/08 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP109 T01170078=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.