- Date
- May 9, 2024, 13:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2193CCessna 195
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240509004859A
- Case key
- 194232
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 takeoff with a gusty crosswind.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the takeoff roll, he applied control inputs to compensate for the crosswind, however, as the airplane’s tail lifted up, the airplane encountered a sudden strong crosswind gust. The airplane weather-vaned to the left, exited the runway surface and collided with the precision approach position indicator lights before it came to rest upright in an adjacent ditch. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was departing runway 8, with wind from 050° at 6 to 10 knots gusting to 8 to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2193C
- Reported as
- Cessna 195 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16178
- Built
- 1955
- Airframe hours
- 4,074.1
- Engine
- Jacobs R-755-A2 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2024 · 5.5 hours before
- Departed
- L35 · Big Bear, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear Airport, runway 8, 5,850 × 75 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 23, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 26,396 total · 83.3 in this make and model · 14,864 as pilot in command · 17.7 in the last 90 days · 7.8 in the last 30 days · 1.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
- METAR
- KL35 092035Z AUTO 35005G14KT 10SM CLR 11/M08 A3010 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.