Cessna 150A accident near Apple Valley, California, March 30, 1998
On March 30, 1998 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150A, registered N6640T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apple Valley, California (Private Strip 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 selection of an unsuitable landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1998 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Apple Valley, California · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150A · all 150As on the register
- Registration
- N6640T · no longer on the register · serial 15059040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had taken the aircraft flying to test the aircraft radio and when it did not work he returned to his private dirt airstrip. He said that after touchdown the nose gear sank in the soft soil, the nose gear strut collapsed, and the aircraft nosed over. An FAA inspector examined the airstrip and found that it is actually a firebreak road that is owned by a neighbor who allows the pilot to use it. The landing area is about 1,700 long by 10 feet wide and very soft. The FAA inspector further noted that 60-foot power lines that the pilot would have to maneuver over before landing obstructed the approach end of the runway.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 1997; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,700 ft by 10 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.