Cessna 195 accident near Willows, California, August 21, 2002
On August 21, 2002 at about 11:18 pm local time, a Cessna 195, registered N4344V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willows, California (Willows-Glenn Co airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions resulting in his failure to maintain runway alignment. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2002 · about 11:18 pm local time
- Place
- Willows, California · Willows-Glenn Co · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N4344V · registry record · serial 7250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot failed to maintain runway alignment during the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane touching down off the runway in soft dirt and nosing over. The pilot had just purchased the tail wheel equipped airplane and was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings to gain confidence in the airplane prior to flying it home. The pilot said that during the first landing, about 2 feet above the ground, the airplane was "blown" to the right of the runway where it touched down in the soft dirt. The main tires dug into the dirt, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that having more flight time in the airplane may have helped prevent the accident. He had 5 hours in this make and model of 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 560 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 560 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,280 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 16, 2002; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs L6MB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WLW Willows CA at 11:10 pm
- Destination: WLW Willows CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,210 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from OVE, 28 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.