Cessna 120 accident near Ocala, Florida, November 13, 2007
On November 13, 2007 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N120AB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ocala, Florida (Ocala International 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 failure to maintain proper runway alignment during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 2007 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ocala, Florida · Ocala International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N120AB · registry record · serial 10910
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot of the Cessna 120 to regain his night currency. While turning onto the final leg of the approach, he thought that the airplane's altitude was higher than normal, so he "slipped" the airplane. While in the landing flare he lost visual contact with the runway. The airplane touched down left of the centerline near the runway edge, impacted a runway sign, and ended up in the inverted position. The pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to impact.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,464 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2007; 3,500 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OCF Ocala FL
- Destination: OCF Ocala FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,907 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from OCF
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.