Boeing B75N1/N2S-3 accident near Hollister, California, July 18, 2024
On July 18, 2024 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1942 Boeing B75N1/N2S-3, registered N54173, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hollister, California (Hollister Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control on landing, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2024 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hollister, California · Hollister Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B75N1/N2S-3, built 1942 · all B75N1/N2S-3s on the register
- Registration
- N54173 · registry record · serial 75-6574
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he had not flown the airplane for a while and was practicing landings with a certificated flight instructor as a passenger. On the first landing in light and variable wind, the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot attempted to steer to the right, but the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,154 hours in all; 477 in this make and model; 1,039 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,335 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 14,280 as pilot in command; 11,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,973 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 670-6A (piston); 858 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 6,350 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 am from KCVH
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCVH 081735Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/14 A2986
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 27, 2025. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N54173 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.