Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120 accident near Truckee, California, May 19, 2008
On May 19, 2008 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120, registered N416JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Truckee, California (Truckee-Tahoe 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 the gusting crosswind and misjudged landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2008 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Truckee, California · Truckee-Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120
- Registration
- N416JA · no longer on the register · serial BH-120-416
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's owner accompanied the pilot, who had received his private pilot certificate about 2 months before the accident, on a personal flight involving takeoffs and landings. The pilot reported that his approach for the final landing appeared normal. Just before landing he felt a possible wind lull or wind direction shift near the runway's surface, and the airplane touched down harder than average. The airplane's owner reported that the airplane touched down hard in a nose low and right wing low attitude. Immediately thereafter, the right main landing gear separated from the airplane. A subsequent airframe examination by the Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector revealed the nose gear and right main landing gear were damaged in the accident to the extent that the nose gear attachment bracket was broken at the upper firewall attachment, and the right main landing gear attachment was torn from the wing spar web, fracturing the wing spar. The weather observation for the airport was showing winds from 220 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 17 knots, at the time of the accident.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TRK Truckee CA
- Destination: TRK Truckee CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from TRK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.