Cessna 150L accident near Laton, California, August 30, 2000
On August 30, 2000, a Cessna 150L, registered N11919, was destroyed in an accident near Laton, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in a stall at an altitude too low to allow recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2000
- Place
- Laton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N11919 · no longer on the register · serial 15075711
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane spiraled into a walnut grove near a friend's home. The pilot frequently flew over his friend's home at low altitude. As he flew by the north side of the home in a left turn at an estimated 300 feet agl, he opened the window and said, "hello." His friend on the ground invited him to come visit after his flight and he responded, "we will." The airplane continued the left turn, momentarily leveled out, then banked left and began to turn left again. By this point the airplane had completed 270 degrees of turn. This turn initially appeared to be like the others the witnesses previously observed; however, this time the bank angle continued to rapidly increase so that they observed the tops of the airplane's wings. They observed a simultaneous rapid movement of the nose to a nearly vertical nose down position. Investigators discovered no discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,272 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2000; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hanford CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 180°F (82°C), dew point 131°F (55°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from HJO, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.