- Date
- March 20, 2026, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9368ACessna 195
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO Riverside, FAA - Riverside FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260320003009A
- Case key
- 202685
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 the landing roll with a quartering tailwind.
Findings · 3
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 he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane at a familiar airport, which he described as often having unpredictable, variable winds. As he approached, automated radio weather reports indicated calm winds for the planned landing runway, and he heard another pilot on the radio indicating he had just landed on the same runway. On final approach, the pilot noticed the windsock indicated he was landing with a significant tailwind, and that the airplane’s ground speed was faster than anticipated. He elected to continue the landing; after touching down a gust picked up the right wing, which the pilot compensated for using right aileron control input. The airplane abruptly exited the right side of the runway and crossed an unpaved area to the parallel taxiway where it ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on Runway 08. An automated weather report 15 minutes prior to the accident indicated a right quartering tailwind from 210° at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9368A
- Reported as
- Cessna 195 (UNDESIGNATED SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7447
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 5,774
- Engine
- Jacobs R755-S, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2025 · 30.1 hours before
- Departed
- KSEE · El Cajon, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City, runway 08/26, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,136 total · 54 in this make and model · 6,136 as pilot in command · 8.6 in the last 90 days · 3.5 in the last 30 days · 2.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.36 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
- METAR
- METAR KL35 202115Z AUTO 21008KT 184V244 10SM CLR 25/M06 A3036 RMK AO2=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.