Cessna 175 accident near Davis, California, January 2, 1995
On January 2, 1995 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7098M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Davis, California (County Dirt Road airport). It was a personal 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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft while on the rollout phase of landing on a dirt road. A factor in the accident was the pilot's intentional selection of the road as a landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1995 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Davis, California · County Dirt Road · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7098M · no longer on the register · serial 55398
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO A COUNTY DIRT ROAD HE INTENDED TO USE AS A RUNWAY WHEN THE ENGINE FALTERED AT 75-100 FEET AGL. THE RPM'S FELL FROM 1800 RPM TO BELOW 1000 RPM. HE SAID HE HAD PLANNED HIS GLIDEPATH TO MISS A TREE ON THE ROADWAY SHOULDER. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE ADVANCEMENT, SO THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND SHORT ON THE ROADWAY. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT TO MISS THE TREE, AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SLIPPED OFF THE ROAD AND INTO SOFT SOIL. THE ENGINE THEN RESPONDED TO THROTTLE APPLICATION AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT BACK ONTO THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. ACCUMULATED SOFT DIRT IN FRONT OF THE MAIN GEAR PULLED THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE ROAD AND INTO SOFT DIRT, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,014 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,615 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1994; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2Q3 CA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.