Cessna 140 accident near Yuma, Arizona, January 1, 2015
On January 1, 2015 at about 11:07 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2841N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Yuma, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to compensate for crosswind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in the loss of directional control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2015 · about 11:07 pm local time
- Place
- Yuma, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 G · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2841N · registry record · serial 13102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he landed at a private airstrip earlier in the day and was departing with the intention of returning to his home airstrip. Prior to departure, he noted a left crosswind of about 15 mph. The initial phase of the takeoff was normal, and when becoming airborne, the wind lifted the left wing and the airplane drifted right over the adjacent field. The field was at a lower elevation, and with the loss of ground effect, the airplane sank resulting in the tail wheel colliding with the ground. Thereafter, the main landing gear impacted an irrigation pipe and the airplane flipped over inverted. During the accident sequence the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot further stated that the accident could have been prevented if they had waited for the wind to have subsided and/or performed the takeoff with the wing flaps extended. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 94 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 49 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,315 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O200 (piston); 1,325 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Yuma AZ
- Destination: Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N2841N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.