Zall Jihlavan Airplanes S R O JA-600 SKYLEADER accident near Reedley, California, December 12, 2024
On December 12, 2024 at about 9:15 pm local time, a 2023 Zall Jihlavan Airplanes S R O JA-600 SKYLEADER, registered N789RC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Reedley, California (Reedley Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2024 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Reedley, California · Reedley Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Zall Jihlavan Airplanes S R O JA-600 SKYLEADER, built 2023 · all JA-600 SKYLEADERs on the register
- Registration
- N789RC · registry record · serial 6 343 385C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting his first solo flight and had completed two successful takeoffs and landings. He reported that after a late flare, and during the rollout on the third landing, the airplane began to “skid left and right,” and he attempted to maintain directional control. While reaching for the flap handle, he inadvertently “bumped” the throttle control, increasing engine power. He reduced the engine power to idle and retracted the wing flaps. The airplane veered left and exited the left side of the runway, struck a runway sign, and came to rest in the grass infield. During the runway excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed punctures to the lower fuselage consistent with impact with the runway sign. The nose landing gear exhibited deformation and fracture of the landing gear assembly near the bottom of the steering tube. Examination by the NTSB materials laboratory revealed that the deformation and fracture were consistent with bending overload.
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)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23.6 hours in all; 23.6 in this make and model; 23.6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 2024; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 83 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O32 Reedly CA at 8:57 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KFAT, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFAT 122053Z 12004KT 10SM FEW021 SCT037 SCT060 BKN150 12/07 A2999
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 30, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Nlg - FAA Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 25-025 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA060.