Cessna 150L accident near Paso Robles, California, May 26, 1999
On May 26, 1999 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N1371Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paso Robles, California (Paso Robles Municipal 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 aircraft control and the resulting intentional off-airport landing. Inadequate recurrent training and recent flight experience were factors in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1999 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Paso Robles, California · Paso Robles Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1371Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After reaching pattern altitude, the pilot reported that he experienced turbulence and difficulty maintaining his flight path. On final he reported having 'too much airspeed' and trouble 'lining up with the runway' and started a go-around. A witness said that as the aircraft reached midfield it was still about 50 feet agl and was continuously rolling right and left. Unable to regain directional control the pilot decided to make a self described hard landing off the runway surface. The aircraft landed off the runway, encountered a gully, nosed over, and came to rest on its back. An inspection showed the flight control linkages were connected and there was no binding. The cables were routed around their associated pulleys and all pins and keepers were in place. The pilot received his private pilot certificate on May 12, 1947 and had accrued a total flight time of 390 hours. He had last completed a flight review on May 30, 1989. He had averaged about 1.3 flight hours per month since his last flight review. Airborne witness reported that winds were variable at 4 knots when the accident occurred and no unusual atmospheric phenomena were present.
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: 390 hours in all; 244 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,782 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 1999; 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: PRB at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,009 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from PRB
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.