Cessna 150F accident near Jackson, California, June 21, 2012
On June 21, 2012 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N524CC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Jackson, California (Westover Field/Amador County). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2012 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Jackson, California · Westover Field/Amador County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N524CC · registry record · serial 15063280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that as the nose wheel landing gear touched down after a normal landing, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. When the student pilot applied control inputs to correct the veer, the airplane swerved “extremely fast” to the right and exited the right side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane traveled down an embankment and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both the left and right nose landing gear rod end bearings were fractured. Metallurgical analysis of the rod end bearing fracture surfaces indicated that they exhibited features consistent with overload failures in an aft direction; however, investigators were unable to determine if the overload failures occurred as a result of a hard landing or during the runway excursion.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,924 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,760 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GOO Grass Valley CA at 1:30 am
- Destination: JAQ Jackson CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 3,401 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
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.
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.