Amateur-built CH 750 CRUZER accident near Hesperia, California, December 8, 2018
On December 8, 2018 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built CH 750 CRUZER, registered N947DS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hesperia, California (Hesperia airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in hard, bounced landing, runway excursion, and impact with a hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2018 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hesperia, California · Hesperia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH 750 CRUZER No Series, built 2015
- Registration
- N947DS · no longer on the register · serial C75-10047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he planned to land close to the numbers, but when the airplane was about 15 ft above ground level, it descended unexpectedly. He added power and pitched the airplane nose down, and the nosewheel touched down hard. The airplane began to porpoise, so he increased the throttle to full, but the airplane veered left, exited the runway, and impacted an empty hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. 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
- Hard landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 315 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 14, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 22, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,440 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Viking 110 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AJO Corona CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: L26 Hesperia CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,910 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KAPV, 14 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 December 19, 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 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.
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.