Cessna 140 accident near Dixon, California, October 14, 1995
On October 14, 1995 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 140, registered N1782V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dixon, California (Main Prairie airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel starvation due to debris blocking the carburetor main jet.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 1995 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Dixon, California · Main Prairie · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N1782V · no longer on the register · serial 13967
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go pattern operations and the engine sputtered and lost power in the initial climb. The aircraft's altitude was insufficient to return to the runway and the pilot landed in a corn field, damaging the fuselage and wings. On-scene investigation revealed that there was 2-1/2 gallons of fuel in the right wing tank and 3-1/2 gallons in the left wing tank. No water contamination was detected when the gascolator and fuel tanks were inspected. When the carburetor was opened, a small amount of debris was noted in the bowl. The individual debris particles were large enough to obstruct the flow of fuel to the main jet. Further inspection revealed there was a fragment of debris in the orifice of the main jet blocking it about 60 to 70 percent.
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: 63 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q33 at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:01 am from SUU, 10 miles away
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.