Cessna 150 accident near Riverside, California, October 10, 1990
On October 10, 1990 at about 11:29 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N68350, was substantially damaged in an accident near Riverside, California (Riverside airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE AND THE IMPROPER BOUNCED LANDING RECOVERY PROCEDURE. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE STUDENT PILOT'S TOTAL LACK OF EXPEREINCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1990 · about 11:29 pm local time
- Place
- Riverside, California · Riverside · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N68350 · no longer on the register · serial 15282277
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT AND LANDING. HE MISJUDGED THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE, LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED. THE STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO CORRECT THE BOUNCED LANDING AND BEGAN TO PORPOISE UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED.
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: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L26 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAL at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Sky: scat at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from RAL
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.