Cessna 140 accident near Palo Alto, California, April 30, 1997
On April 30, 1997 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2031N, was destroyed in an accident near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto airport). It was a personal 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
the pilot's failure to obtain and/or maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain. A factor relating to the accident was: the degraded climb performance due to an unauthorized modification of the airplane, which increased the airplane's maximum fuel tank capacity and stall speed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1997 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2031N · no longer on the register · serial 12267
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was the owner/operator of the airplane, applied engine power for takeoff, and the airplane accelerated and climbed approximately 50 feet above the runway. Suddenly, the airplane banked right, and the pilot attempted to lower the left wing by applying opposite aileron. His efforts were inadequate. He lost control of the airplane as the nose pitched down, and the airplane crashed. The airplane came to rest in an open dirt field about 150 feet from the runway's edge. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction or failures were experienced during the flight. An examination of the airplane revealed it had been modified by the addition of fuel tanks which increased the total fuel tank capacity from 25 gallons (standard) to about 60 gallons. The pilot reported that this modification, which was performed under his direction, had increased the airplane's stall speed by 6 mph. The FAA had not approved the modification.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,668 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAO at 11:19 pm
- Destination: 0O3 San Andreas CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,500 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 pm from PAO
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.