Cessna 150K accident near Hesperia, California, June 26, 1999
On June 26, 1999 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150K, registered N6171G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hesperia, California (Hesperia 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 misjudged landing flare point and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin, resulting in a stall and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1999 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hesperia, California · Hesperia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150K · all 150Ks on the register
- Registration
- N6171G · registry record · serial 15071671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After receiving no response from the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, the pilot proceeded on a 45-degree entry for right traffic to runway 3. Prior to turning downwind, he observed the windsock at the east end of the field indicating the wind was almost directly down runway 21. He flew over the runway and turned left to enter left traffic for runway 21. He stated he was established on final at 60 miles per hour with 30 degrees flaps and a 500-foot per minute sink rate, but decided he was high and increased the flaps to 40 degrees. He felt the approach was normal and experienced turbulence, which he described as light to moderate chop, while crossing a road on the east perimeter of the airport. He thought the sink rate momentarily increased as he began to flare and observed his airspeed was 60 miles per hour. As he completed the flare, he felt the sink rate stop as expected. He stated the airplane was 10 to 15 feet above the runway when it quit flying, dropped straight down, and bounced hard on the main landing gear. Before he could respond by adding power, the nose gear hit the ground and collapsed. The airplane skidded 30 to 35 feet before coming to a rest off the left side 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 357 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 279 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,930 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1999; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Learn To Fly Unlimited, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: L12 Redlands CA at 8:20 pm
- Destination: L26
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,910 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from RAL, 29 miles away
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.