Cessna 120 accident near Johnson City, Kansas, November 17, 2020
On November 17, 2020 at about 8:35 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N2376N, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Johnson City, Kansas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper decision to fly the airplane at too low an altitude resulting in the airplane impacting terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2020 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Johnson City, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N2376N · registry record · serial 12625
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he had just departed from the airport and saw a family member working in an adjacent field and decided to perform a flyby. While performing a low-level left turn over the field, he felt the left wing dropping toward the ground. The pilot immediately applied full right aileron, at which point, the left wing began dragging on the ground. The airplane’s propeller subsequently impacted the ground, followed by the right wing, and the airplane slid to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported if he had been at a higher altitude, the accident would not have happened.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 393 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 359 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 24, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,177 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 3,175 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 51°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from JHN, 6 miles away
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 August 17, 2021. 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 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN21LA062 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN21LA062 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.