Cessna 150G accident near Oroville, California, April 25, 1998
On April 25, 1998 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150G, registered N3376J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oroville, California (Private Dirt Strip 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 pilot's failure to maintain the proper glide path, and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions, which resulted in an undershoot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1998 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oroville, California · Private Dirt Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3376J · no longer on the register · serial 15066076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The landing area is a private dirt strip that is 1,500 feet msl at the approach end (west), 1,700 feet msl at the departure end (east), and approximately 600 feet in length. The pilot set up for a landing to the east and while on approach encountered an unfavorable wind condition that he stated 'dropped the aircraft approximately one foot below his planned approach path.' The aircraft struck rocks at the approach end and traveled another 500 feet before striking another rock and coming to rest. The pilot did not note any mechanical discrepancies with the aircraft.
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: 106 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 106 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,026 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 1997; 6 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: O06 CA at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 600 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.