Cessna LC-126C accident near Lincoln, California, June 30, 2009
On June 30, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna LC-126C, registered N1064D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lincoln, California (Lincoln Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue crack in the left main landing gear strut resulting in the collapse of the strut during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, California · Lincoln Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna LC-126C
- Registration
- N1064D · no longer on the register · serial 7676
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that when he entered the traffic pattern he observed the windsock indicating the wind was parallel to the runway. The pilot stated that during landing, the airplane "flared with no drift across the runway and touched down as normal." During the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed and separated from the airplane, and the left wing impacted the ground. Despite the pilot's control inputs, the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway, coming to a rest adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and left wing. Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left main landing gear, at the point of separation, contained fractures consistent with fatigue cracks. The Safety Board issued Safety Recommendations A-01-001 and A-01-002 in March 2001, and the FAA issued an "Airworthiness Concern Sheet" in September 2007, both regarding landing gear fatigue on various Cessna airplane models with steel spring landing gear.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › (general) › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,020 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 982 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,912 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 2009; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755A SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLHM Lincoln CA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: KLHM Lincoln CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 15, 3,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Observation at 5:30 pm from KLHM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.