Cessna 525A accident near Novato, California, February 8, 2002
On February 8, 2002 at about 2:25 am local time, a Cessna 525A, registered N288G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Novato, California (Gnoss Field Airpot). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point and his failure to retract the flaps and spoilers during an attempted landing abort, which resulted in a landing overrun. Also causal was the pilot's decision to attempt a landing in wind conditions that exceeded the landing performance capability of the airplane for the runway selected.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2002 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Novato, California · Gnoss Field Airpot · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 525A · all 525As on the register
- Registration
- N288G · registry record · serial 35
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane overran the runway and impacted a ravine off the departure end of the runway after landing. Prior to the cross-country flight, the pilot obtained a weather brief from the Flight Service Station, and he was unsure he would be able to land at the destination airport due to weather. He monitored Air Traffic Control transmissions and heard that an airplane had broken out of the weather at 1,200 feet and landed at the destination airport. The pilot was cleared for the GPS approach. He noted that he was higher and faster than normal. He activated the speed brakes to help slow down the descent. The airplane touched down about 1/3 of the way down the runway. He activated the ground flaps and spoilers, and the brakes. When the airplane did not decelerate the pilot elected to abort the landing. He added power, but forgot to retract the flaps and spoilers. The airplane continued off the departure end of the runway and came to rest in a ravine. Reported winds prior to landing were 230 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots. Right after the accidents winds were reported from 290 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 27 knots. The runway was 3,300 feet. According to the manufacturer, with a tailwind condition, the airplane needed approximately 3,400 feet to make a normal landing. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions noted with the airplane.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,938 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,706 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 70.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 7, 2002; 70.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,375 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Williams International FJ44-2C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Williams International FJ44-2C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMF Sacramento CA at 1:30 am
- Destination: DVO Novato CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 15 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from APC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX02FA075.