Cessna 140A accident near Los Banos, California, September 27, 2025
On September 27, 2025 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 1949 Cessna 140A, registered N9410A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Los Banos, California (Los Banos Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind, resulting in a ground loop and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2025 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Los Banos, California · Los Banos Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A, built 1949 · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N9410A · registry record · serial 15231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he diverted to an airport to make an en route fuel stop, but did not utilize the available weather products, which would have alerted him to the strong windy conditions at the airport. The pilot then selected Runway 32, requiring a correction for a strong left crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane ground looped then subsequently nosed over on the paved runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,043.4 hours in all; 240.5 in this make and model; 29.7 in the last 90 days; 13.7 in the last 30 days; 1,877.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 5, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,229.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2025; 1,937 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 SERIES (piston); 2,473 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CA34 Esparto CA at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,801 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 20 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 69°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Weather report (METAR): SA 27/09/2025 23:35-> METAR KCVH 272335Z AUTO 27009KT 10SM OVC016 20/15 A2988 RMK A01=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC25LA113.