Cessna 208B accident near Sacramento, California, February 19, 2010
On February 19, 2010 at about 2:41 am local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N892FE, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Sacramento, California (Sacramento International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight collision with a bird while on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2010 · about 2:41 am local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Sacramento International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N892FE · registry record · serial 208B0222
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on approach to the airport when he saw five large birds. The pilot felt an impact to the right wing and the airplane rolled to the right. The pilot corrected the roll with opposite aileron and rudder input and the airplane landed safely on the runway. Postaccident examination showed substantial damage to the right wing spar. Bird remains recovered from the airplane were identified as tundra swan.
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
- Birdstrike during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,210 hours in all; 1,008 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 4,050 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,986 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 4, 2010; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,785 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: ACV Arcata CA at 1:18 am
- Destination: SMF Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 8,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from SMF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA141.