Cessna 172 accident near Stockton, California, October 5, 2018
On October 5, 2018 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 172, registered N78239, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Stockton, California (Stockton Metropolitan airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2018 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K, built 1968 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N78239 · registry record · serial 17257540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during departure and before rotation, the airplane veered left, and he applied opposite rudder, but the airplane impacted a taxiway sign. The nose landing gear separated from the firewall, and the airplane exited the runway to the left and came to rest upright in a field adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall structural plate and the lower firewall flange. The student 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › TE flap control system › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of equipment › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 47.7 hours in all; 19.2 in this make and model; 33.9 in the last 90 days; 11.8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,442.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 21, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 ED2 (piston); 5,487 hours total
- Operator: Jc Air Academy Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SCK Stockton CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 4,448 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KSCK, 1 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 April 1, 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N78239 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.