Cessna 150G accident near Sonoma, California, March 26, 1998
On March 26, 1998, a Cessna 150G, registered N2952J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sonoma, California (Sonoma Sky Park airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and subsequent inadequate supervision of the situation to simulate an engine failure on takeoff, as well as both pilot's not maintaining a visual lookout. A related factor was the diverted attention of both the instructor and student pilot's.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1998
- Place
- Sonoma, California · Sonoma Sky Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2952J · no longer on the register · serial 15065752
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor pilot and student pilot were preparing for the student pilot's private pilot check ride. Both pilot's remember practicing maneuvers for 40 minutes before returning to the airport to practice soft and short field takeoff's and landings. On the landing preceding the accident takeoff the instructor simulated an engine failure and the student landed without any difficulty. On the accident takeoff the student pilot raised the flaps and the instructor simultaneously leaned the mixture to simulate a power loss. The instructor took over on the controls when the student did not recognize the situation. He attempted a restart of the engine, while the student flew the aircraft to an open field. While attempting to restart the engine the instructor observed a power line and instructed the student to fly underneath the power line. Both pilot's stated that on the last attempt to restart the engine, it started. They both looked up and saw power lines and attempted to maneuver the aircraft underneath the power lines. The student pilot stated that his instructor did not indicate to him that he was going to simulate an engine failure.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,686 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 7,411 as pilot in command; 4,140 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,111 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 1997; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0Q3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,480 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from STS, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.