Cessna 120 accident near Lone Pine, California, October 24, 2015
On October 24, 2015 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N3124N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lone Pine, California (Lone Pine airport). It was a personal 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 fracture of the left main landing gear (MLG) wheel axle due to fatigue, which resulted in the separation of the left MLG wheel during takeoff from a dirt airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2015 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lone Pine, California · Lone Pine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 NO SERIES, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N3124N · no longer on the register · serial 13382
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was taking off from a dirt airstrip for a personal cross-country flight. He reported that, during the takeoff roll, it felt like the left main landing gear had hit soft soil and that the drag had increased. He attempted to correct for the condition, but the left MLG wheel continued to drag. The airplane then suddenly nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left MLG wheel axle was fractured, which resulted in the separation of the left MLG wheel. A detailed examination of the fracture surface identified a fatigue fracture that emanated from the outer surface of a circumferential weld between the lateral tube portion and the vertical plate portion of the axle. The investigation could not determine what event initiated the fatigue cracking; however, the origin areas were covered in zinc-chromate primer, which indicates that the axle was painted when the circumferential weld contained a preexisting crack.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff defining event
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 380 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 10, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,162 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 2015; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O26 Lone Pine CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: TSP Tehachapi CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,391 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KBIH, 49 miles away
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.