Cessna 340A accident near Schellville, California, September 20, 2007
On September 20, 2007 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 340A, registered CFTPA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Schellville, California (Sonoma Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance, which resulted in an overrun of the runway. Contribution factors are the pilot's inadvertent landing at the wrong airport with a shorter runway than his intended destination and limited braking effectiveness resulting from the wet runway condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2007 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Schellville, California · Sonoma Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- CFTPA · no longer on the register · serial 340A1257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed at the wrong airport, overran the 1,500-foot-long runway, and came to rest in a vineyard on the departure end of the runway. He mistook the accident airport for his destination, which is nearby and has a 3,300-foot runway. He also noted that the runway's wet conditions hindered breaking and caused the airplane to hydroplane. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
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: commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,002 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 6,390 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental TISO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental TISO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 5:45 pm
- Destination: DVO Novato CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 1,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from APC, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.