Cessna 150 accident near San Jose, California, February 23, 1992
On February 23, 1992 at about 3:40 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N126NK, was destroyed in an accident near San Jose, California (Reid-Hillview airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THAT THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S (CFI) MISJUDGED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN A LONG LANDING, THE CFI'S IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO A GO-AROUND WITH PARTIAL POWER, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CFI TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL IN THE INITIAL CLIMB SEGMENT OF THE PARTIAL POWER GO-AROUND RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AFTER THE INITIAL STUCK VALVE DEFICIENCY AND THE DECISION OF THE CFI TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN DISCREPANCY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1992 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Reid-Hillview · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N126NK · registry record · serial 15073390
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 150 CRASHED AFTER EXPERIENCING AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 31R THE CFI TRANSMITTED A 'MAY DAY' CALL TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER STATING THE AIRPLANE HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT EXECUTED A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 13L. THE CFI THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CLIMB TO 50 FEET AND THEN ENTER A RIGHT SKIDDING TURN, STALL, AND SPIN, IMPACTING THE GROUND OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. THE CFI INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD PREVIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONED WITH A STICKING VALVE AND THOUGHT THE VALVE WAS STICKING AGAIN. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMIATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER ROCKER ARM VALVE MALFUNCTIONED AS A RESULT OF A FRACTURED ROCKER ARM SHAFT BOSS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,090 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,565 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 31, 1991; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Veda Corporation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,101 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 am from RHV, 1 miles away
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.
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.