Cessna 140 accident near Marina, California, October 10, 2018
On October 10, 2018 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 140, registered N89266, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Marina, California (Marina Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent application of the brakes, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2018 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marina, California · Marina Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 Undesignat, built 1946 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89266 · no longer on the register · serial 8290
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, after landing, as he pressed the right rudder to turn off the runway, his foot slipped, he inadvertently applied the brake, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut, left wing, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi (from runway)
- Nose over/nose down during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Unnecessary use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Last flight review: May 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,102.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: OAR Marina CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,483 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KSNS, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 6, 2019. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | 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.