Cessna 195 accident near Sonoma, California, January 14, 1988
On January 14, 1988 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 195, registered CGADA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sonoma, California (Sonoma CO airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1988 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sonoma, California · Sonoma 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
- CGADA · no longer on the register · serial 7600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL PILOT CHECK FLIGHT, UPON TOUCHDOWN, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD. THE ACFT GRADUALLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT THEN GROUND LOOPED. A LOCAL MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A FAILURE. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE BRAKES WERE OPERATING NORMALLY PRIOR TO AND DURING THE FIRST TOUCH AND GO LANDING. THE RT LNDG GEAR STRUT BROKE AND EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF A OVERLOAD FAILURE.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,931 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 15,930 as pilot in command; 14,565 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,027 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 1987; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:08 pm from STS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under CGADA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.