Cessna 150 accident near Taft, California, September 28, 2005
On September 28, 2005 at about 3:42 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N1238Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Taft, California. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering. The mountainous terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2005 · about 3:42 pm local time
- Place
- Taft, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N1238Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a mountainous, bowl-shaped canyon after about 35 minutes of maneuvering flight. The airplane departed for a routine pipeline patrol and radar data indicated the airplane maneuvered initially to the southwest and then to the northwest of the departure airport. The last 5 radar returns depict the airplane headed south at an altitude of 2,700 feet msl. The last radar return was recorded approximately 0.6 nautical miles northwest of the accident site. The area flown by the airplane was not usually associated with the pilot's patrol missions, and according to the operator, the accident site was not located within the patrol area. Distribution of the wreckage at the accident site indicated the airplane impacted rising terrain on a southwest heading and nosed over coming to rest inverted. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane. The operator reported that the pilot had been conducting patrol missions for 9 years and had accumulated about 9,900 hours of flight time.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,900 hours in all; 421 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,599.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2005; 9.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L17 Taft CA at 3:07 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from BFL, 38 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.
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.