Cessna 140A accident near Gilroy, California, November 8, 2014
On November 8, 2014 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1950 Cessna 140A, registered N5612C, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Gilroy, California (Frazier Lake Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while flying at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the obscuration of the pilot’s visibility due to sun glare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2014 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gilroy, California · Frazier Lake Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A UNDESIGNAT, built 1950 · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N5612C · no longer on the register · serial 15545
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot and passenger were flying in an area of wooded, rolling hills and valleys. When the airplane did not arrive at its destination as scheduled, a search was initiated. The wreckage was located the next day in a valley about 5 miles from the departure airport, where it came to rest beneath overhead distribution power lines. The unmarked lines were located about 300 ft above ground level, in an east-west orientation, and were anchored between two H-frame pole assemblies that stood on either side of the valley. There were no witnesses to the accident, but residences near the accident site reported a power outage near the time of the accident. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller, right wing leading edge, and right wing strut exhibited impact marks consistent with a wire strike. Given the position of the sun about the time of the accident, it is likely that sun glare contributed to the pilot's inability to see the power lines as he flew the airplane along the valley at low altitude.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,489 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2014; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 SERIES (piston); 5,489 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1C9 Hollister CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: CA66 Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KSNS, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on February 9, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sectional Map Image | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Airplane Logbook Entries | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt - CFR 14 Part 77 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt - FAA Ac Obstruction Marking and Lighting | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Cessna | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Cmg | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Toxicology Report - Dennis | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Aerial View of the Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | NTSB Photo Array | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.